In My Mailbox #2

Won

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Pure Red by Danielle Joseph

Borrowed (Library)

        

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K Kelly Martin

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Supernaturally (Paranormalcy #2) by Kiersten White

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

[Review] Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Title: Carrier of the Mark

Author: Leigh Fallon

Publisher: Harper Teen (October 4th, 2011)

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

You guys might already know from a previous meme that if I don't find a book to my liking, chances are I won't make myself finish it. To me, it just saves alot of time and unnecessary frustration. Plus if a story is suitable for your taste, you probably shouldn't even have to think about making The Decision (whether to stop or not). I know this might not be very fair to the author because every story deserves a chance, but that's just my habit and I can't help it.

Yet with Carrier of the Mark, it was a book I had requested for after winning a giveaway held over at The Traveling Reader (a super-responsible and friendly blogger who really thinks of everything <3). So even when I felt like stopping the book midway, I couldn't do it because it'd feel like a waste. The book itself wasn't very long anyway, so it's probably a good choice if you're looking for a quick read!

Firstly, the writing. I'm neither an expert on literature or a writer myself, but the author's style just didn't appeal to me at all. The prose felt very forced and direct...like everything was spelt clearly and you just had to take it at face value, you know? I know a book doesn't need to have flowery language or extra-complicated sentences in order to be likeable, and too much thinking can get tiring as well. But because the writing was so plain and one-dimensional, I felt like I wasn't involved in the story, but rather an outsider flipping through the pages and knowing A said this, B replied, C happened, then D followed. The dialogue between characters was so stiff I found myself wondering if people really did have conversations like this in real life.

Also, I'm not a fan of exclamation marks in dialogue.

Secondly, the romance was really, really fast! I know this is supposed to be a romance novel and they were helplessly drawn to each other, but that also meant I couldn't understand WHY Adam (the love interest) loved Megan so much. I mean, he can't think of anything but her and even sends a crow and his sister to stalk her-when they hadn't even exchanged more than a few words! Megan thinks it's sweet and protective of Adam, but to me, it's just plain creepy. I do not need a crow spying on me in the shower, and that is exactly what happens in the book. Everything happened so fast, they'd barely met and suddenly he was confessing his undying love to her? The author kind of skimmed over the development of the relationship, so we hardly get an insight as to how they got to know each other. Instead, we suddenly see both of them kissing and Megan believing Adam was The One after a few weeks. The quickness of their whirlwind romance was a little startling, making them seem like two hormone-crazed teenagers rushing into love rather than sensible young adults starting a new relationship. Other readers might appreciate this as a realistic portrayal of young love, but personally I thought it went way too intense, way too fast.

Perhaps I'm being too cynical here, and who knows, maybe someone else might find Adam more swoon-worthy than stalkerish. Who doesn't love a hot stud in a book? I guess sometimes hotness becomes such a cliche, it actually makes the romance seem superficial and unbelievable instead of enhancing it.

Thirdly, I was really uncomfortable with how this book closely resembled another series starting with a T and ending with a T. (In case you haven't guessed, this series involves one girl who moves to Forks, and a family of vegetarian vampires with supernatural abilities.) I couldn't help noticing the likeliness despite my attempts to avoid making any comparisons between both books. YA books always tend to overlap, whether is it in plot or character-wise, because there's bound to be some similarities when you're dealing with the same issues. Usually, I don't find it a huge problem...but for Carrier of the Mark, the signs were so obvious it was pretty hard to miss. Although the book did have some original ideas that should be expanded on, I'd like to see more originality in both its plot and characters.

It was hard to relate to Megan emotionally, I guess. The whole "I'm dangerous and I should totally stay away from you but I have the hots for you so I'll just kiss you and hope it all works out" thing? It gets old. Fast. If you know someone isn't good for you, why play with fire? Megan's lovesick behaviour at the start seemed a little silly to me, especially when Adam was obviously staying away from her, FOR HER OWN GOOD. When you don't feel a connection with the MC, that's when things go downhill.

You can probably tell from my little tirade that I couldn't bring myself to truly like this novel (oh well). I would suggest that you check it out from the library first if you're interested, but for a more comprehensive point of view, you might like to check out more reviews over at its Goodreads page.

Follow Friday #5 and Book Blogger Hop #3

Q: What superhero is your alter-ego?

Superman! I'm not a guy, but I've got muscles. Okay I'm kidding haha, I think I'd like to have him as my alter-ego because he's your typical geek at first glance, but when he throws on his costume, he's the hero who saves everyone from distress! It's like, "Laugh at me all you want, I'm the one secretly kicking ass and saving your butt!"

Q: What is your favourite type of candy?

I have an incurable sweet tooth, so asking me about my favourite candy is like asking me about my favourite family member. But thankfully, the former is still easier to answer than the latter LOL. Do chocolates count as candy? If yes...Hershey's all the way, for no reason other than because I like it best!

[Review] Past Perfect by Leila Sales

Title: Past Perfect

Author: Leila Sales

Publisher: Simon Pulse (October 4th, 2011)

All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated…even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new.
Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it….

I'd previously read and liked Leila Sales' first book, Mostly Good Girls, so when I learnt of Past Perfect, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! And it certainly didn't disappoint, which makes me look forward to more from this author.

The main character, Chelsea, was snarky, sarcastic, and had a deadpan humor which made me laugh a whole lot. But underneath all the hilarious comments, I thought she was also a relatively down-to-earth and average protagonist whom you can easily relate to. Having a likeable MC made it easy to feel emotionally connected to the story as it progressed-even her whining was more funny than annoying!

However, every MC has her faults and Chelsea is no exception. I did feel kind of annoyed when she kept hankering after Ezra (what kind of name is that, anyway!?) even though they'd already broken up and he didn't show any interest in getting back with her. It felt as if she was overly obsessed with him to the point that he was affecting her mood all the time. To be fair, it wouldn't be very teenager-ish if Chelsea was able to handle Ezra's presence diplomatically and get over it immediately, so it wasn't really a huge problem that ruined the story or anything. I also did try to keep in mind that this was actually a big part of the story's plot (having to deal with an ex 24/7) and served as a way to show Chelsea's character growth. That being said, I was glad to see her maturing and becoming an independent person without Ezra by the end of the book.

Chelsea's parents were also really endearing. I mean, she did complain about her dad every now and then (who doesn't?) but she never went off on an emo "Oh my family sucks I hate my parents they don't understand me at all" tirade. You could see the strong relationship they had as family, and it was incredibly reassuring. I was beginning to think that a shattered, dysfunctional family was a must for YA protagonists, but this certainly wasn't true in Past Perfect. Well, except for the fact that they were acting as silversmiths in a historical village. I'm not sure if you'd consider that dysfunctional.

Speaking of the historical village, I really liked the premise of the story. Past Perfect is set in Essex, a historical colonial village cum tourist destination, which meant it strayed away from your usual high school setting. The writer effortlessly weaved history into the story and there were some interesting golden nuggets about time and culture scattered throughout the book!

There was also this "Civil War" between Chelsea's colonial village and a neighboring rival village set in another time era; it was kind of unreal that teenagers would take it so seriously, but the "attacks" on each other were so silly it added comedic effect. It also provided some conflict for Chelsea's budding romance with Dan, a boy from the other side. I was afraid that the writer would twist the story such that they became starcrossed lovers or something, but thank goodness she didn't! Dan wasn't exactly swoonworthy material, but he's somewhat like the nice, sweet, boy-next-door you can't help but warm to. They had some really adorable and witty banter that made me root for them all the way, even during a time when I thought maybe they were done for good.

Overall, Past Perfect was a light-hearted and entertaining novel that I enjoyed immensely. Don't miss this one if you're looking for a cute and enjoyable read!

Waiting on Wednesday: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

 

 Title: Incarnate (Incarnate #1)

Author: Jodi Meadows

Publisher: Harper Collins (January 31st 2012)

 

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all? 

The reason why I got curious about this book was really because of its cover. Although some people might find it startling and maybe a tad creepy, it just called out to me at first glance! But what truly caught my attention was the plot, because how many YA books actually deal with souls AND reincarnations? (Well, not counting starcrossed lovers and soulmates. You know how skeptical I am about those) The whole premise sounds fantastic, plus the romance sounds ultra promising too! ;) 2012 releases seem so far off in the future, but thank goodness this one's out in January, which isn't as distant as it seems.

Update! (And an apology)

Hello people!!

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to everyone for being totally MIA recently. Has it really been a MONTH since I last updated this blog?! If there’s still anyone who follows my blog, not just as a follower on Google Friend Connect but as a loyal reader-I’m extremely sorry for being so irregular in blogging this month. I bet you thought I vanished from the surface of the Earth or something, and for that I feel insanely guilty!

When I started blogging, I knew it was going to take a lot of work and that’s why I put in tons of effort in growing my blog. It was work that I enjoyed immensely at the start, when it was the holidays and I had plenty of time to spare. But once school started, I was having difficulty with even finishing the books on my hands, let alone write thorough reviews about them. And whenever I did have time to do a review, my writing just sounded so weird and forced and cringe-worthy I couldn’t bear to post it. Yeah, I’m totally anal about stuff like this; if it’s not something I would want to read myself, I’d never show it to you! Eventually, I guess it just became easier to stop trying. I am so ashamed of myself right now.

But the thing is, I still LOVE reading to bits. It’s still my favourite past-time and I have so many books to start on. Plus, I’ll never stop having opinions of the novels I read :P That’s why I have no intentions of completely giving up blogging, even if it’s only to satisfy my own selfish need to share some burning thoughts and feelings. Or to have fun, especially when I get some really funny and thoughtful comments from you guys!

But first, I’ll have to get over final-year examinations in October (which reminds me, I have so much revision left untouched LOL) and work a bit more on my writing skills.  And get more inspiration and motivation in the meantime, probably? (:

Thank you also to authors who have asked me to review your book(s) even though I haven’t updated regularly. I appreciate the consideration and will always get back to you!

Once again, I’m really sorry for the long absence, especially to those who do/did follow my blog consistently. I’ll do my best, so please be patient with me!

[Review] My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

Title: My Life Undecided

Author: Jessica Brody

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, Giroux (June 7th, 2011)

My Life Undecided was a really cute, funny and relatable story which will have you laughing and squealing along with Brooklyn throughout her decision-making journey!

After reading The Karma Club, also by this author, I was looking forward to reading more from her because her books seemed to have very unique concepts. Fortunately, I wasn’t disappointed with My Life Undecided at all! Everyone has had difficulties making decisions in life, and most of us can relate to having made some really bad choices. As teenagers, decision-making is even harder because we feel like one wrong move will totally destroy our lives or something!

So why not ask an anonymous crowd of unbiased strangers to give their objective view? This is exactly what the protagonist, Brooklyn, has decided to do. After making some wrong choices, she ends up losing her parents’ trust, best friend, and social standing. This series of bad decisions leads Brooklyn to believe that she is incapable of wise judgement, and thus in a fit of inspiration, sets up a blog named “My Life Undecided”. Here, Brooklyn declares that every one of her decisions, whether tiny or huge, is now in the hands of the blogosphere-whatever option the virtual crowd votes for, she will follow. What started off as a desperate attempt to make the right decisions eventually develops into a life-changing experience for Brooklyn.

I loved the whole premise of this book! Blogging was weaved effortlessly into the story and I actually felt tempted for a moment to start a similar blog myself, LOL.  Brooklyn was someone I liked very much, simply because she reminded me a lot of my own inability to make decisions easily. Other than that, Brooklyn was also a funny, witty and snarky MC who started off as being overly-sarcastic and angst-ridden, but slowly evolved into a more mature and considerate person by the end of the book. It was enjoyable reading about how she had to follow whatever decision her blog voters chose even if she didn’t like it-the consequences were just hilarious!

What made this book even more endearing would be the romance. You have the popular, suave and charming guy on one hand, and on the other hand you have the underdog, who happens to be smart, responsible, kind, supportive and a debater (!!!) Although it was rather predictable who Brooklyn would choose in the end, I had fun reading about all the sweet moments and how she finally realises which guy is right for her. There was this heart-stopping scene in the bathroom when Brooklyn was playing Truth or Dare-let’s just say I nearly melted into a puddle reading that part, and it was by far my favourite in the book!

I loved the ending because it said a lot about Brooklyn’s character growth, and how the experience has shaped her as a person. It was adorable without being corny, meaningful without being preachy, and conclusive without being absolute. I’d recommend My Life Undecided to anyone looking for a sweet, light-hearted and comical read with a unique premise!

Giveaway at Missy's Reads & Reviews!

Missy is having an Epic 1000 Followers Giveaway over at her blog! There are six prize packs to be won and tons of extra entries you can do :)

For more information, click HERE!

[Review] Luminous by Dawn Metcalf

Title: Luminous

Author: Dawn Metcalf

Publisher: Dutton Childrens Books (July 7th, 2011)

As reality slips and time stands still, Consuela finds herself thrust into the world of the Flow. Removed from all she loves into this shifting world overlapping our own, Consuela quickly discovers she has the power to step out of her earthly skin and cloak herself in new ones-skins made from the world around her, crafted from water, fire, air. She is joined by other teens with extraordinary abilities, bound together to safeguard a world they can affect, but where they no longer belong.

When murder threatens to undo the Flow, the Watcher charges Consuela and elusive, attractive V to stop the killer. But the psychopath who threatens her new world may also hold the only key to Consuela's way home.

When I first heard of Luminous, I thought the plot stood out alot from your typical paranormal fare and immediately added it to my TBR list. The idea of shedding your skin to become part of the world around you sounded refreshing! I'm not sure about you, but personally I've had times when I wished I could become something else rather than plain old me, and what better way than to throw on a new skin of air or water or even flames like Consuela does? And who wouldn't want to have a pretty pearl-pink skeleton?!

I won't even try to summarise this book because, well, there were way too many things going on! I don't mean it with a negative connotation, and readers who appreciate complexity in a story will probably love Luminous to bits. One thing about this book would be that it keeps you on your toes guessing where the story was headed; there was no predictability at all and I constantly found myself wondering what was going to happen next! You also can't help but get swept up into the alternate universe of the Flow along with Consuela. Everything sounded really different from what we are used to here on Earth. In fact, everything in the world of Luminous is unique and allows your imagination to run freely, thanks to the very descriptive imagery and beautiful language. Many reviews of this book have stated how good Dawn Metcalf's writing was, and I must say they weren't exaggerating at all!

However, the complicated storyline also meant that I had difficulty trying to keep up with the plot. There were moments when I had to pause and backtrack because Luminous was pretty fast-paced and it was easy to miss out certain details if you weren't paying enough attention. By the time I finished half of Luminous, I was already feeling slightly lost with lots of questions in my head. The wonderful writing was probably what made me press on until I finished the book, though I was steadily getting more and more confused.

Characters wise, I thought the writer did a really good job in creating characters which YA readers may not be accustomed to. The other teens in the Flow had their own unique personalities and talents-I wish we had the opportunity to learn more about their individual stories and relationships with one another! Romance lovers will be glad to hear that there is a male character with a very cool name and ability, who has a pretty deep connection to Consuela. However, I personally couldn't get into the romance and it was mainly because of Consuela herself. She felt way too cardboard-like without much emotion, especially because the story was told in third-person narrative. Even towards the end, when Consuela supposedly felt more comfortable in her own skin, I still didn't feel like she had grown much from the beginning of the book. I couldn't connect much with her on an emotional level, which was really a pity!

Luminous had TONS of potential. It had great prose, interesting supporting characters, and I loved the concept of the Flow, but overall the story just kind of fell flat for me. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I wanted more out of Luminous! Still, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something more challenging, stimulating and different.

(P.S: Sorry for being MIA for so long! Life has been pretty busy thanks to school, and I was trying to catch up on my reading as well. Thanks for sticking with me :D)

[Review] Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

Title: Sixteenth Summer

Author: Michelle Dalton

Publisher: Simon Pulse (May 3rd, 2011)

At first glance, Sixteenth Summer might seem like your typical, fluffy summer read, one that you can read while lying out in the sun somewhere. But personally, I felt it was more like a spring or autumn read-not just sweet and romantic, but also with a little more depth and melancholy than you might expect.

The tiny island with all its nature and beach scenery sounded so blissful to me! I’m just dying to step into the book and personally experience the whole island atmosphere. Will, who is from the city and used to walking in a crowd of strangers, was so awed by how Anna knew practically everyone she walked by on the streets-and he certainly isn’t the only one! I wish I could stroll along the city and make friendly talk with familiar faces everywhere. (Here, people would probably start staring at me suspiciously and wondering what I’ve got up my sleeves)

The beginning part of Will and Anna’s relationship was awkward, clumsy, embarrassing and so incredibly sweet. It’s always fun reading those books where both characters meet for the first time but manage to say the perfect things while looking cool and composed; somehow, everything goes smoothly like a fairy tale and the magical night even ends with a knee-weakening kiss. In that moment, you start dreamily fantasizing and thinking, hey, maybe this is going to happen to me too. That’s why I love romance novels so much, they give us rose-tinted stories where nothing seems to go wrong!

Yet in reality, that’s often not the case. Instead of projecting a put-together, confident image, most of us ordinary teenagers end up stammering in nervousness, blushing in shyness or fidgeting in silence. We trip over our own feet, we have colourful tongues from wrong candy choices, we have bad hair days and stains down the front of our shirts. Michelle Dalton managed to capture the real essence of first dates, first kisses, and first loves perfectly in the book. Will and Anna’s love story was simple and not at all extraordinary with sweeping lines or extravagant gestures, but it was also heart-warming and charming in its own right. I loved how they were able to transform small, mundane everyday-life matters into beautiful and treasured summer memories to keep for life.

After reading so many books involving things like the horrors of dystopian society, or world-endangering wars between paranormal creatures, Sixteenth Summer was like returning home to a familiar place of comfort. The novel reminded me that even in the world of creative fiction, normalcy can be equally engaging. The entire book was about how two simple, normal, uninteresting teenagers met, fell in love and spent the summer getting to know each other-it sounds kind of boring, but isn’t this exactly what normal people all over the world are experiencing? I thought the plot development was very realistic and natural, nothing felt forced or out of place. Although the storyline was relatively simple, I was charmed throughout and couldn’t take my eyes off the pages, which is a lot more than I can say for other books aiming for action-packed and suspenseful, but falling short disastrously.

The ending was heart-breaking and hopeful at the same time. Although I already had an inkling where the book was heading towards since the start, *highlight for minor spoiler* it was still kind of sad knowing there was a high possibility Will and Anna would never be together again. It would have been overkill if the author had thrown in a perfect, nicely wrapped-up conclusion, so I wouldn't ask for a totally happy ending, nor would I want a sequel because I think the book ended on a beautiful (if not slightly tragic) note. If you're looking for a coming-of-age story dealing with first love and growing up, Sixteenth Summer is for you!