4.5 Star Review for End of Days (Penryn and the End of Days Trilogy)...

4.5 Awesome Stars...

 

This series is freaking brilliant!!!

 

Okay so I'm just gonna gush about Susan Ee and her amazing writing skills... this series was awesome... I read the whole lot (plus an ARC for another author) within a week and I don't usually read that fast, it was so good I could Literally. Not. Put. It. Down!...

 

The first two books got 5 stars from me... book one set the scene and introduced us to the characters, you could feel the connection between Penryn and Raffe... and that ending... oh my gosh!... but as I have said in my original review for Angelfall, it's not over the top on romance, and the same could probably be said for the rest of the series too... it's there in a subtle way that's not in your face...
In book two we get to know the characters and plot better... there were some twists you would expect, but some you wouldn't either... it was lacking a lot of Raffe for the first half which I wasn't happy about but we got to know who Penryn was without him... oh and can I have an Archangel Sword please? Because Pookie Bear is totally badass!...

 

The only reason I gave End of Days a 4.5 Star rating and not a straight-up 5 was because of the ending... it didn't feel as emotionally charged at the end of the book as I was hoping for... it was a fantastic story with an original plot, and it had a really 'good' ending, and one where it could continue if Susan Ee so wishes to do so (and I would definitely be buying those!) but, we got to the point where I thought the main characters would get more romantically involved, and they do for the most part, but! when it came down to it there just wasn't enough for me... I wanted to hear a confession of love come from their lips... I wanted them to say how much they loved each other and fall into a passionate embrace and live happily ever after... you get my drift... 

I suppose what Susan Ee has done is made this a little bit of everything for a wide range of tastes... and it's worked really well because it's hella popular in my reading circles... a lot of my friends love the steamy romances, and a lot of them don't like romance at all, and being slightly in between this seems to fit the bill for both...

 

Anyway, I digress... this has to be one of the best Young Adult, Dystopian, Paranormal Romance series I've ever read... if you like any or all of these genres then do yourself a favour and read these books, they're easy to read, adventurous, original, funny and suitable for age teens and up (says the 36 year old book addict ;) and I highly doubt you'd be disappointed.........

 

 

 

The Blurb 

 

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee's bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They're both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn's sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe's past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

 

Here are the series links for all you 1clickers and GoodReaders:

 

Angelfall (Penryn and the End of Days Book One) - Amazon; GoodReads; My Blog Review

World After (Penryn and the End of Days Book Two) - Amazon; GoodReads

End of Days (Penryn and the End of Days Book Three) - Amazon; GoodReads

 

5 Star Review of Angelfall (Penryn & The End Of Days #1) by Susan Ee

I'm always a bit sceptical about reading something with a lot of hype... most of the time I'm left disappointed because I'm expecting something amazing to jump off the page and instead I get mediocre... but let me tell ya... this book deserves all the hype it's given... this now has to be number one on my list under Favourite Paranormal Dystopian Books...

I'm sure you've all read the blurb so I'm not going to rehash it... all I can say is that there's not one part of this book I didn't like... well okay, I'm not gonna lie, I'm a BIG Romance fan and I have to say that it wasn't very generous on that side of things BUT! the storyline itself was enjoyable enough... the attraction is there although it's quite subtle, even if the main characters are both trying to deny it, and there were some very touching moments - I fed off of those like a big underdeveloped scorpion angel sucking the life out of its victim - you'll probably only get that reference if you've read it so don't worry about it!

The characters are very likeable... Penryn is tough, loyal, brave, snarky and funny - yeah she's pretty frickin' badass!... she's had to be the grownup in her immediate family, looking after her sister and mother because, I just have to say this, her mother is just a bit nuts!!!
Raffe's also funny and snarky, and he's Hot!... yeah you've guessed it, I have a huge Raffe crush... so sue m'kay ;)

This story is a lot heavy on the Paranormal element, Susan Ee certainly has one heck of an imagination and a good eye for detail... there are some pretty disturbing images I have floating around my head now that I've finished the book (take note of the Scorpion Angel comment above) Paige should be an interesting character and I'm keen to hear how that turns out... I loved it, it was such a great read I found myself turning my virtual pages for hours after my bedtime... it's amusing and has plenty of action throughout to keep you gripped... and that ending! Oh my goodness I just wanted to take Raffe in my arms and hug him...

I'm a little disappointed that it didn't take me too long to finish, but there are another two books to go and I can't wait to read them... I have the next one ready to go and I'll probably be starting it tonight... it looks like a 'sleep less, read more' situation ha!

The Blurb

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again. 

Take a look at Angelfall on Amazon HERE

and on Goodreads HERE

The Offering… Book 3 in The Pledge Trilogy by Kimberly Derting…

The third and final book in this series really was the best… I’m struggling on a star rating and I’m going with 4, possibly 4.5 stars…

This one was action packed starting with a dramatic scene where Sabara’s lover Niko betrays Xander when they visit Queen Elena to talk peace between Ludania and Astonia… a gruesome message is then sent back to Charlie and we’re not sure if Xander is dead or alive… Charlie then sneaks away from the palace and embarks upon a mission with Eden and Brook to rescue Xander (if he is still alive) and sort things out with Elena...

There weren’t really any plot twists as such. We as readers, get parts of the story from the different character's POV so we mostly know what's happening, but it was gripping, fun and entertaining. It was also emotional and upsetting in parts too which rings true to the Dystopian genre it's labelled under…

Despite what the synopsis says, Charlie’s still struggling with Sabara’s essence within her and I like how it’s depicted, we definitely see her personality, bravado and confidence grow… We meet some new characters and I enjoyed the POV shifts throughout… The only thing I wasn’t fussed on was the romance side of the story… it just wasn’t happening for me I’m afraid… being a big romance junkie, for me it’s a fundamental part of the story hence marking it down slightly… there were so many great opportunities there – Max and Charlie, Brook and Aron, Xander and Sage, even Sabara and Niko… but it didn't seem ‘heartfelt’ for lack of a better word… the writing was good but it didn’t make my eyes fill up or my heart flutter… that being said, I really wanted more from Xander and Sage and would love to hear their story.

Everything seemed to get wrapped up in the end with no loose ends, although I would have liked to know what became of Sebastian, the little *expletive* but the ending was good and satisfactory with a nice epilogue to round things off...

 

 The Blurb

 

True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy.
Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks.

When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom.

But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.

 

Here are your links for the series:

 

The Pledge (Book One)... Amazon... Goodreads... My Review...

The Essence (Book Two)... Amazon... Goodreads... My Review...

The Offering (Book Three)... Amazon... Goodreads...

 

3.5 Star Review for The Pledge... Book One in The Pledge Trilogy by Kimberly Derting

I wasn’t 100% sure what I was going to get with this… I got it for free somehow, (I don’t remember how or when exactly, but it feels like an age ago) and it’s been sitting on my Kindle ever since… anyway, it felt like the right time to read it and I was pleasantly surprised yet slightly disappointed at the same time…

When I read about it, it was listed under Young Adult, Paranormal, Dystopian Romance… so many genres I could tick off my faves list… and yet it seemed a bit ‘lacking’ for want of a better word…

The book is written from Charlaina (Charlie’s) first person POV in the predominant chapters, there are the odd chapters where we get from Max (the mysterious love interest) or Queen Sabara a third person POV scene… the main characters are all around the ages of 17/18, coming of age, with suggestive but no sexual scenes which gives it the perfect setup for a Young Adult audience…
It has a Paranormal ‘twist’ rather than a whole novel based upon the genre… the twist is good and original (for me) where Charlie can understand any language and read people’s gestures… her sister Angelina is mute and has a gift too, and of course we start the book in a scene where we learn what Queen Sabara can do…

This was nothing like the bigger Dystopian novels like The Hunger Games or Divergent… it feels more like Historical Fantasy… a city divided into classes where language is used to dictate the ranking system, ruled by a cruel and heartless queen… it’s only the part when Charlie is reading the story of Ludania’s history to Angelina that I recognised it as post-apocalyptic as it feels like a developing world rather than a collapsed one… although there probably isn’t much difference when I think about it, it just didn't 'feel' Dystopian to me…

The romance in this book was, unusually and unfortunately, not my favourite part, there were probably two scenes that were really good, the rest of the time it was all rather bland and Charlie pushed Max away so many times it was becoming frustrating… there was some physical attraction but I didn’t feel a connection… and then at the end it kind of leaps forward a couple of months and you don’t get any relationship development that I feel this book needs (sigh!)

Anyhoo… the writing was good, no typos or grammar errors… the plot was good and I liked the pace and development, there’s no cliffhanger but it definitely leaves you curious… I enjoyed the characters but I would say we could do with knowing them better, their growth throughout the story was nice, especially Brook... There were some twists I didn’t expect and I don’t know how I missed it, but I didn’t guess who either Max or Zander were until right at the last minute… I enjoyed the story, even if it wasn’t as much as I’d hoped for, and I’ve downloaded the second one and am optimistic that it’s going to get better...

 

 

The Blurb 

 

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.

 

Click HERE to view this book on Amazon.co.uk

and HERE to take a look at it on Goodreads

 

Short And Sweet With A Scattering Of Book Bargains...

Hello my fellow Bibliophiles... this week is gonna be a short and sweet update with all the usual stuff in a condensed version (I think)... I've read two books this week, both have reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, see below for the links, and I may put a few reviews up here on the blog too as I haven't done any of those for a while...

I have discovered though, that I can actually read while working out on the crosstrainer, bike and treadmill at the gym, so I'm doing a little happy dance about that as I'm there every night after work now :)

Anyhoo... without further ado:

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West: I gave this a good 4 stars - it's £3.99 at the moment with an Average Star Rating of 4.3 and the genres it's tagged under are #Contemporary #Romance #Teen #YoungAdult... you can find it to 1click on the above link to Amazon or read my review on Goodreads HERE...






The Pledge by Kimberly Derting: This one got 3.5 stars from me - it's £2.29 on Amazon with and ASR of 3.9... genres include #YoungAdult #Paranormal #Dystopian #Romance... 1click on the above link at Amazon or read my review on Goodreads HERE...







And now for my Book Sale Bargain Corner...  I found these in the sale bin as usual... ASR = Average Star Rating, all links are to Amazon for you 1click addicts, #tags are some of the genres they're listed under:

• Final Call for Happiness by Tamara Avner: £1.99 - ASR 4.8 - #Contemporary #Fiction
• A Secret Wish by Barbara Freethy: Free - ASR 4.4 - #Contemporary Romance
• Saved By The Dragon by Vivienne Savage: 99p - ASR 4.8 - #PNR #RomanticComedy
• Relentless by Karen Lynch: Free - ASR 4.8 - #YoungAdult #ParanormalRomance
• Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade: Free - ASR 4 - #ContemporaryRomance
• Awakening by C B Stone: Free - ASR 5 - #YoungAdult #Romance #Fantasy
• Night After Night by Lauren Blakely: Free - ASR 4.6 - #Romantic #Suspense
• Unauthorized Affair by Lisa Ladew: Free - ASR 4.6 - #Romantic #Suspense
• His Gift 3 by Aubrey Dark: Free - ASR 4.5 - #Erotic #Romance
• Darkangel by Christine Pope: Free - ASR 3.9 - #Paranormal #Romance #Fantasy
• The Girl On The Half Shell by Susan Ward: Free - ASR 5 - #NewAdult #ContemporaryRomance
• The Last Thing by Briana Gaitan: Free - ASR 4.2 - #NewAdult #ContemporaryRomance
• Spring Rush by Amy Chanel: Free - ASR 3.7 - #Contemporary #Romance
• Bitter Sweet Love by R C Stephens: Free - ASR 4.3 - #NewAdult #ContemporaryRomance
• Shades of Pearl by Arianne Richmonde: Free - ASR 4.3 - #Erotic #Romance
• The Witch Hunter by Nicole R Taylor: Free - ASR 4.1 - #Paranormal #Romance
• The Diplomats Daughter by Alyse Zaftig: Free - ASR 4.5 - #PNR #RomanticComedy # NewAdult
• Gravity by Abigail Boyd: Free - ASR 4.4 - #YoungAdult #Horror
• All About You by Joanna Mazurkiewicz: Free - ASR 4.7 - #NewAdult #ContemporaryRomance

 
Well, that's all there is from me this week peoples... for more bargains and updates during the week check out my other social media accounts to the right and give me a follow... see ya'll soon...........     Claire xxx

Book Talk... Talking Books...

Happy Weekend my lovelies!...

 

I know I haven't posted anything new (other than the odd review) for a couple of weeks... I do have some excuses though... first of all it was my birthday (see my lovely Sugarskull bag I got from my BFF as a prezzie in the pic on the right!) and you know, we had to go out and celebrate me being another year older lol, and I've also been away visiting family which has been awesome... but I've sadly been back to work since Monday, and although I would love to be able to read, review and blog full-time, I would surely become homeless if I couldn't make my mortgage payments haha!

Anyhoo... Last week I finished the Awaken Trilogy by Katie Kacvinsky... now I don't want to repeat myself here, but, I have to say that this Dystopian series was awesome and if you like the Young Adult and Dystopian genres then this may just be a series for you!... You can browse through the rest of my posts, or follow the links below to read my reviews on each of the books, and there should be links to Amazon and Goodreads on there too...

 

1. Awaken - I awarded the first instalment of the trilogy 4.5 stars
2. Middle Ground - 4.5 stars for the second book in the series
3. Still Point - The final instalment I gave 4 stars

After reading Katie's Trilogy, I felt the need for some Smut... yes... you heard me correctly... I needed what I call a 'Reset Book' (or in this case a set of books) - something quick, light and carefree that would make me feel good after the long, heavy onslaught of emotions that always comes with reading something epic... so this week I decided to give Nicola Marsh's Burlesque Bombshells series a whirl... now I haven't put any reviews up this week so I will make time to post one for the series in the next few days, but for now I'll list them below with links to Amazon and Goodreads where I have already posted reviews for the series... if you like a bit of insta-love in your diet then go check these out, they're full of man-crushes, unrealistically beautiful people, insta-lust and just hotness in general... Enjoy!

• 0.5 - Before - the prequel... the story of how Jess and Jack first met 10 years 'before' Brash... Download it for free via Amazon or take a look at Goodreads
• 1 - Brash - ten years later Jack and Jess reunite... see it on Amazon and Goodreads
• 2 - Blush - Reid (Jess' older brother) and Adele meet at the end of Brash... get it on Amazon and Goodreads
• 3 - Bold - Chantal and Zane's story was my favourite so far... Amazon and Goodreads

These books don't have cliff-hangers and they could potentially be read as standalone's but, I would recommend reading them in sequence (not sequins, although each to their own) as the characters are all connected.

The next books in the series are all of Zane's brother's stories, they haven't been released yet so I don't have any links for you, but they should go as follows:

• 4 - Bad - Wyatt's story - should be released in July 2015... just in time to be my holiday read yaaay!
• 5 - Beg - Steele's story - releasing this year 2015 date to be determined
• 6 - Burn - Kurt's story - releasing early 2016

In-keeping with my smutty mood I have also read Beneath Him by Komal Kant this week (link to Goodreads and Amazon) - I awarded this book 4 Stars, this turned out to be something different to what I expected and I'm not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing... it's a frustratingly annoying love story that compelled me to keep reading... my review is on the above links so please have a look and see what you think... I'll give you The Blurb here which is really spot on:

 

Sometimes love can start with a little hate.
When Sky Hudson first has a run-in with tall, dark, and handsome Nicholas Ruggarson, she wants nothing more than to throw her coffee at him. He is rude and arrogant, and she is glad she never has to set eyes on him ever again.
Or so she thinks.
It turns out, not only does she have to see Nick again, she also has to live with him. Hired as the new nanny to work for Nick’s affluent family, she can’t seem to get away from the womanizing jerk.
With a hot and cold relationship, and an undeniable attraction between them, Sky might finally be the woman to break through Nick’s arrogance and discover that there is more to him than she ever imagined.
If she doesn’t kill him first.

 

 

Now that I've bored you with all of the stuff I've read over the last couple weeks here's my Bargain Bin List!

   I found these in the sale bin as usual... ASR = average star rating, all links are to Amazon for you 1click addicts, #tags are some of the genres they're listed under:

• Good Vibrations by S. L. Scott: Free to download with an ASR of 4.5 ~ #NewAdult #ContemporaryRomance
•  Lovers at Heart by Melissa Foster: Free to download with an ASR of 4.3 ~ #ContemporaryRomance
• TAG by Shari J. Ryan: £1.36 - ASR 4.3 ~ #NewAdult #ContemporaryRomance #Suspense #Military
• Breaking Braydon by MK Harkins: 99p with an ASR of 4 out of 5 ~ #ContemporaryRomance
• The Line That Binds by J. M. Miller: £2.29 with an ASR of 4 ~ #Paranormal #Romance #Urban #Fantasy
• How He Really Feels by Lisa Suzanne: 99p with an ASR of 3.8 ~ #Contemporary Romance
• Breaking My Heart by Aleya Michelle: Free to download with an ASR of 4.3 ~ #ContemporaryRomance #RomanticComedy #Erotica
• Every Soul by LK Collins: £1.99 with an ASR of 4.8 ~ #Romance #Erotica #Suspense
• The Billionaire's Counterfeit Girlfriend by Nadia Lee: Free to download with an ASR of 4.3 ~ #Contemporary #Romance
• Crave by Stephanie Brother: Free to download with an ASR of 4.3 ~ #NewAdult #ContemporaryRomance #WomensFiction

And last but not least... On my TBR list for this week coming I have:

• Welcome to Sugartown by Carmen Jenner: It's £1.99 at the moment but it was free when I downloaded it. It has an ASR of 4.4 and genre tags include #Contemporary Romance #NewAdult #RomanticComedy #EroticRomance (just to round off my smutty mood :P)

• City of Bones by Cassandra Clare: £3.66 at the moment. It has an ASR of 4.5 and genre tags include #YoungAdult #Fantasy and #ScienceFiction

I can't wait to start reading the Immortal Instruments series, I'll most probably be posting again during the week with some reviews and whatnot... so until then remember...

'Sleep is good, and books are better' George R R Martin.

 

 

4 Star Review for Still Point... book 3 in the Awaken Trilogy by Katie Kacvincsky

I looked at a few reviews before reading this final book in Katie's Dystopian Trilogy and I would recommend others do the same, I didn't read any spoilers so I wasn't 100% how it was going to work out but, as I was aware that things weren't going to end in the predictable way you would like to think, I kind of prepared myself for it... and if I had gone into this last instalment blind then I don't think I would have liked the ending as much as I did... however...

There are a lot of people leaving low star ratings for this book which, kind of made me hesitate to read it as I thought I really wasn't gonna like it but, honestly, Katie Kacvinsky has a fantastic way of describing her character's feelings, thoughts and emotions... there are paragraphs throughout the whole series that are motivational, inspiring, thoughtful, reflective, and beautiful, and even though I would have loved for Maddie and Justin's HEA to be together in a perfect world, I really did like how it ended for them... I could see how Maddie matured and started to think about what was best for her and at the end of it all... it's a Dystopian Trilogy! They never end the way you think they will!...

I have conflicting feelings on the way that some of the scenarios panned out, which is why I couldn't give it the whole 5 stars, but the writing I cannot fault... I would definitely recommend this series if you liked the Hunger Games or Divergent and are a fan of Young Adult Romance genres...

Summary for the Trilogy (Includes Spoilers)
The first book Awaken focuses on getting to know the main characters and the setting for the story, and I think the reason a lot of people don't like the way it ended is because we grew to really like Justin, we got to know his history, his family, why he was fighting against Digital School.
In the second book 'Middle Ground' he was there for Maddie when she really needed him, you could see how much he cares about her and it seems like he opens up and accepts his feelings for her...
But then he does a complete turn around in the third book... you can tell he still loves her but, he doesn't really seem too concerned when she almost dies a handful of times within 24 hours, and he's not too bothered that she kissed someone else as long as it aids the cause...
I really like Jax but, it all feels a bit rushed, he just pops up from nowhere, he's not mentioned in any of the previous books and we don't get to know him on the same level as we got to know Justin... this is why I had such a hard time liking the way the story pans out and, although I do think that they had chemistry from the start, it's just not the ending a lot of us wanted...

There is a Prequel Novella to Awaken called Maddie's Tattoo... I didn't find it until after I read all of the other three books but, I would highly recommend reading it before the rest if you can... it's very short and doesn't go too in-depth but it does give you an introduction to Jax and it explains her tattoo as well

 

 

 

 

 

The Blurb

 

In the final installment to the trilogy begun with Awaken, Maddie returns home to make her final stand against Digital School, and uncovers deeply guarded secrets about her family an new truths about herself.

 

Maddie's Tattoo: "I never knew that taking one class would change my life. The most insignificant decisions can have the most significant impacts. That is the scary thing about choice. Choice is a methodical genius hidden behind the face of a child. We think it's all fun and innocent until we realize the force of our decisions. Choice is our life compass. It guides our every direction."

A prequel to AWAKEN, this provocative short story explains the history behind Maddie's tattoo, and sets up events in the final installment of the trilogy.

 

 

Your links to the Series:

 

Maddie's Tattoo (Prequel) on Amazon and Goodreads

Awaken on Amazon and Goodreads

Middle Ground on Amazon and Goodreads

Still Point on Amazon and Goodreads

4.5 Star Review for Middle Ground by Katie Kacvinsky...

The Sequel to Awaken is another delightful instalment to the trilogy... Katie Kacvinsky's writing just gets better throughout the series, it's action packed and angst filled and a thrill to read... I couldn't get through it fast enough...

Maddie goes through one hell of a magic carpet ride when she gets sent to the Detention Centre (or D.C. as they refer to it) no thanks to her brother Joe... the storyline here is an original one for me and, although it's pretty out there on the believable stakes, it's highly entertaining...

We got to know a few of the character's a bit better... I warmed up to Molly, Scott and Pat (although Pat did get a bit intense), I liked the new character Gabe we meet in the DC, and I really did feel for Justin... you can tell how much Maddie means to him... he's really grown on me in this book but I still wouldn't say he was in my top ten book boyfriends...
And Maddie... well, she infuriated me no end... I suppose this is what makes it so entertaining but there were a few times where I just thought 'really?... why would you do that you idiot!?'

I would say I can't wait to read the final book but, I have heard from various sources that it's not the predictable ending we expect... I don't want to say too much as I don't have all of the facts, but I've heard it described as Allegiance without the death... so, here I go... about to start reading Still Point... look out for my review hopefully by the end of the week...

The Blurb

In this provocative cautionary tale for teens, the sequel to Awaken, seventeen-year-old Maddie's rebellion against the digital - only life grows dangerous. Maddie is in Los Angeles, trying to stay out of trouble. But one night, a seemingly small act of defiance lands her in the place she fears the most: a detention centre. Here, patients are reprogrammed to accept a digital existence. Maddie is now fighting for her mind, her soul, and her very life. Once again, Katie Kacvinsky paints a disturbing picture of our increasingly technology-based society.

The Awaken Trilogy by Katie Kacvinsky 

#1 Awaken via Amazon and Goodreads
#2 Middle Ground via Amazon and Goodreads
#3 Still Point via Amazon and Goodreads

Bookish Thoughts, Reviews and Bargains of a Bibliophile...

Another week has flown by... it's our Easter Holidays (or Spring Break) here in England and as it's my Birthday next weekend I have taken some annual leave, I'm visiting some family in The Lake District for a few days, so I'm chilling out at home until Tuesday and then I'll be off on a little road trip with my partner in crime... I'll be taking my library with me via kindle though so no need to panic haha...

Last week was so busy at work it turned me into a total stress head, but I managed to escape inside a few book covers any chance I got, so here's my reading list for the week:

• Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan: £2.49 on Amazon at the moment ~ I awarded this 4 Stars and it has an average of 4.9 stars out of 300 reviews... it was a Sweet and Emotional, New Adult Standalone... you can read my review via the main link above to Amazon, here on my Blog or on Goodreads...

• Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky: £1.89 on Amazon ~ I awarded this 4.5 Stars and it has an average of 4.1 out of 14 reviews... it's the first book in a Trilogy - genre's include #Dystopian #Fantasy #YoungAdult... read my review via the above Amazon link, here on my Blog or on Goodreads...

• Middle Ground by Katie Kacvinsky: £4.31 on Amazon ~ the second book in the awaken Trilogy - Currently 77% through the book and I'm loving it... my review will be posted possibly mid-week here on the blog so please pop back and check it out. I also have Still Point to read (the third and final book) so watch out for that too...

Some Food For Thought...

I've been reading New Adult books for the last few years, I couldn't really tell you how many have been through my fingers... it's one of my favourite genres and some of these books I have enjoyed immensely!
But... up until recently it never really dawned on me how many of the sentences, phrases and descriptions used in these books are repeated and rearranged on the page so it's not in danger of plagiarism... it's not that I've never noticed before as I'm actually quite an observant person, I tend to just acknowledge it, roll my eyes and carry on anyway.

Now as an example, I recently read Archer's Voice (see above) and the story was so original and beautiful I absolutely loved it, it would have gotten 5 stars but, I marked it down because of the lack of original writing... maybe that was unfair, I did kind of feel like a b*tch to be honest as the storyline was lovely, but it's as if there's some kind of generic phrase book that these writers use for describing feelings, emotions and reactions, and especial sexual situations...
You kind of expect it in these 'Billionaire Romance' books that there are hundreds of, I use these ones as 'reset books' where, when you've read an epic story and you're still reeling from it, you just want a nice little short story with a HEA for cure of your Book Hangover.

So here's my gripe... I think writers and authors who want to make it big, who take the time to come up with an awesome storyline, should also endeavour to use original writing. We, as readers, don't want to pay for the same words regurgitated on the page, with a different name screamed out in ecstasy as the shocks from their orgasm roll through the protagonists body, their partner following two short thrusts after, their hard body collapsing on top of them breathless and sweaty, breathing in their ear some kind of endearment or proclamation of their commitment they didn't intend to say, rolling to the side and falling asleep in their arms feeling satiated and safe...

I feel like that was a bit of a rant lol... I don't mean to offend anyone, I hope some of you guys agree with me, and if you don't then that's fine too... either way I'd love to hear your comments below... you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest and Instagram...

Moving on... Here are my Book Bargain Downloads of the week...

So these are my sale-bin finds this week... links are to Amazon for all of you 1-Click addicts... ASR = average star rating, tags are some of the genres they're listed under on Amazon and Goodreads:

• What Once Was Perfect by Zoe York: Free to download atm with an ASR of 4.2 and 22 reviews... Tags include ~ #ContemporaryRomance #WomensFiction #RomanticComedy
• Deep Blue by Jules Barnard: Free to download atm with an ASR of 4.4 and 25 reviews... Tags include ~ #NewAdult #RomanticComedy #ContemporaryRomance
• Fighting Temptation by KC Lynn: Free to download atm with an ASR of 4.6 and 56 reviews... Tags include ~ #RomanticSuspense #ContemporaryRomance #AdultFiction #Erotica
• Escaping Me by Elizabeth Lee: Free to download atm with an ASR of 4.2 and 9 reviews... Tags include ~ #NewAdult #ContemporaryRomance
• Crimson Midnight by Amos Cassidy: Free to download atm with an ASR of 4.8 and 6 reviews... Tags include ~ #UrbanFantasy #DarkFantasy and #ScienceFiction
• Second Chance by Katie Kacvinsky: £2.21 atm with an ASR of 4 and 2 reviews (2nd book in a series I'm reading atm)... Tags include ~ #YoungAdult #ContemporaryRomance

As I've said before... I probably wont read these straight away... but I can't resist a good bargain ;)

 

 

So that's my news for this week folks... I'll be posting more reviews soon and an update of my reads and bargains next weekend (possibly Sunday as I'm celebrating birthdays haha)... enjoy the holidays if you're on break and I hope you all read some awesome books... Until next time...

 

  

4.5 Star Review for Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

This is the second book I've read by Katie Kacvinsky and I love her writing... she thinks outside the box and it's really refreshing not to read the same words being regurgitated on the page over and over again in these Young Adult (YA) books...

This has a very dystopian feel to it... and it's hard not to compare it to the world we live in now... although extreme, it seems like this is the route we're heading towards... how many of us are okay with being completely unplugged?
It's set 50 years in the future where, because of all of the crime, violence and terrorism in the world, the government have developed a computer system where society barely has to leave their homes, everything is done online and people are discouraged to communicate with each other face-to-face. Children are made to attend Digital School from their homes until the age of 18. There are programmes for everything... take virtual walks along the beach, if you want to chat with a contact you can see a hologram instead of meeting in person, take virtual classes like self defence etc. There are zip-shuttles and trains instead of cars. And because of the shortage of trees on the planet it's all fake plastic ones and plastic paper...

Maddie is the daughter of the founder and developer of Digital School... the story comes from her POV and as a character I liked her but she does get a little frustrating at times...
Justin is the son of extreme radicals who are fighting against a digital life... he was pretty hard to read, I liked him a lot but I didn't fall in love with him straight away...
A star crossed lovers story, but it's not all cliché and predictable... they meet in an online study group and Justin persuades Maddie to come to a face-to-face one, and that's when the adventure begins....
Maddie never really knows how Justin feels about her until later in the book because he tries to keep himself at a distance, she's always had a rebellious side, but she's been on probation and grounded for the last two years and it's Justin's words and actions that 'Awaken' her out of her digital slumber... he's very focused and intent on bringing the DS system down and I thought it was pretty obvious why his group pursued her, so I was kind of taken aback that she hadn't figured it out and got so upset when it was revealed...

Maddie's parents are an odd coupling, it's hard to imagine why they would be together at all since they're so different... Her dad is the villain of the story and so far he's not even likeable... her mother is a different kettle of fish... she encourages and embraces non-digital things...
Justin's parents are cool and you can see why he's so passionate about their cause.

It's well written, a few typos, but overall it's the content that gets you hooked... it's more fantasy themed and both the romance and storyline was slow off the mark, but it was interesting and intriguing.
This could be enjoyed by a young teen audience as there are no sexual scenes or use of inappropriate language, they (finally after bated breath) make out a lot in the last quarter of the book but it goes no further than touching waists and necks and skin ogling!
It doesn't exactly leave you on a cliff-hanger but it does leave you wanting more, the ending confused me a bit... I'm looking forward to the next book in the series Middle Ground... I have it waiting on my kindle and I can't wait to see what happens...

 

 

The Blurb

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin.

Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

   Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

   In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space...

 

 

 

Click HERE to view and 1-click at Amazon

 

Click HERE to take a peek at Goodreads