Review: Supernaturally by Kiersten White

     

Title: Supernaturally
Author: Kiersten White

Series: Paranormalcy #2
Pages: 336

Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: January 5th 2012 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars
100 Book challenge: #1

A lot has changed in the six months since Evie escaped from the International Paranormal Containment Agency with her shape-shifter boyfriend, Lend. She finally has the blissfully normal life she’s always dreamed of including: 
1) A real live high school 
2) A perfectly ordinary after-school job 
3) Her very own locker (and by the way, rusted metal is every bit as awesome as she imagined) 

But Evie’s not-so-normal past keeps creeping up on her...and things get pretty complicated when you factor in: 
1) A centuries-old, seriously decaying vampire stalker 
2) A crazy faerie ex-boyfriend who is the perpetual bearer of really bad news 
3) A major battle brewing between the faerie courts where the prize in question happens to be...Evie herself. 

So much for normal.

Paranormalcy spoilers but spoiler free for Supernaturally

I adored Paranormalcy. Evie is such a fun character and I couldn't wait to catch up with her. Evie is living out the normal life she wanted but it has become slightly monotonous and has lost the appeal it once had. Raquel offers Evie a job at IPCA with the freedom she lacked the last time. With Evie wanting to reconnect with her other life whilst not hurting Lent, her life is anything but simple. It also seems that she is being targeted but why and who are a complete mystery.

Evie had the same spunk she did in Paranormalcy. She is a flawed character but that is what makes her so relatable. Her need to keep secrets to not hurt Lend's feelings is wrong but understandable. The relationship between the two is so nice to read about, despite that there are a few problems. 

The thing I love most about this series is that it is so unique. It isn't a typical  paranormal. This book also didn't have second book syndrome. It has the same fun as the first and White did not get Lend and Evie to do the big, predictable, break up because, you know, what else is there to do? It wasn't a romance, it has so many other elements.

The ending was a complete shock to me. I was kept in suspense the whole novel and I love it when that happens. I am really interested to see how the trilogy is going to the end. The ending wasn't a cliffhanger which was nice. I am just excited to see more Evie and Lend :)

Review: The Haunting of Charity Delafield by Ian Beck

    

Title: The Haunting of Charity Delafield
Author: Ian Beck

Series: Standalone
Pages: 281

Publisher: Bodley Head (Random House)
Release Date: November 3rd 2011 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars

A magical, enchanting tale, with stunning illustrations that will transport you into another world. 

Flame-haired Charity Delafield has grown up in a vast, isolated house - most of which she is forbidden to explore - with her fiercely strict father. With only her kindly nurse, Rose, and her cat Mr Tompkins for company, she knows very little of the outside world - or of her own family's shadowy past. What she does know is that she is NEVER to go outside unsupervised. And she is NEVER to over-excite herself, because of the mysterious 'condition' that she has been told she suffers from. 

But Charity has a secret. All her life, she has had the same strange dream - a dream of a dark corridor, hidden somewhere in the house. Then, one day, Charity stumbles across the corridor. It leads to a door . . . and suddenly she realises things are not quite what they seem.

I don't really read middle grade novels but I have to say The Haunting of Charity Delafield was a pleasant surprise. It was full of suspense, action and mystery and there was a quick pace from the beginning. It was sweet and refreshing and such an enjoyment to read.

Charity's father prevents Charity leaving their home or even exploring the ground due to her "condition" in an attempt to protect her. His overbearing ways heighten Charity's curiosity about the secrets he is keeping from her about her "condition" and her mother who is claimed to be dead.

I was gripped right from the start and swept away with the mystery along with Charity. Charity was a loveable character. She was sweet and good natured but not without some mischief. I loved reading about her adventures even if they didn't even well.

The secondary characters were really fun to read about. I loved Silas, the chimney sweep and Mrs Browne, the cook. I felt like I really got to know them and they had something to add to the story.

The mystery was written perfectly and I was unsure of what was going to be discovered. The ending was a complete surprise and went in a different direction than I expected. Nevertheless it was a perfect ending.

The Haunting of Charity Delafield was a lovely surprise and I am so glad I read it. I definitely think I will be reading some more middle grade novels in the future.

Review: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

    

Title: Virtuosity
Author: Jessica Martinez

Series: Standalone
Pages: 294

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: October 27th 2012 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. Two weeks before the most important violin competition of her career, she has bigger things to worry about—like growing out of that suffocating “child prodigy” label, and not disappointing her mother. But it isn’t just the wrong time. It’s the wrong guy. Jeremy is Carmen’s most talented rival, and according to her mother, he’s only interested in one thing: winning. 

He isn’t the only one. 

Carmen is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to control performance nerves. But what started a year ago as an easy fix is now a hungry addiction. Her mother insists now is not the time to quit, but Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of doing what she’s told. 

When the darker side of the classical music industry and her mother's ambition collide, Carmen must choose between her career and her love for music.

Virtuosity is a book about music but it is ultimately about love and loss. It deals with a battle between mother and daughter, competition and love but also an inner battle of what is right and wrong.

Carmen is an extremely talented violinist, preparing to take part in a competition to win a prestigious prize. Her biggest competition, Jeremy, makes   Carmen feel passionate to win but also passion in a whole different way.

I really liked Carmen as a character and I felt like I could connect with her. I felt her struggles as much as I felt her successes. I also really like Jeremy, the competitor and the love interest. The relationship develops quite fast but I think it is just so new and familiar and a chance to rebel from her mother and music. The internal battle of Carmen deciding whether Jeremy really cared for her or merely wanted to mess with her was just as agonising for me as it was for her. I felt everything she felt.

The element of music was ongoing but it didn't take centre stage. It was merely a well crafted device to demonstrate the characters. I really loved the music aspect and it was similar to If I Stay by Gayle Forman in some ways in that sense.

The book dealt with a lot of issues, including pressuring parents and competitiveness, as well as some other issues. Carmen's mother put an insane amount of pressure on Carmen and sometimes I just really wanted to hit her. As a failed opera singer she tried to force all of her frustration onto Carmen in order for her to succeed. I think parents like Carmen's mother are definitely found in competitive sports such as music and sports and I think Martinez dealt with it incredibly well. 

The ending really packed a bunch. There was a slow burn throughout the novel that was just turned right up. So many surprising occurrences and character developments. WOW.

Virtuosity is a bitter sweet novel with highs and lows. A beautifully novel dealing with struggles of competition, love and family. I look forward to reading more from Martinez in the future.

Review: Silence by Becca FItzpatrick

    

Title: Silence
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Series: Hush, Hush #3
Pages: 438

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: October 14th 2010 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

I devoured Crescendo and after finishing it, I couldn't wait to read Silence. Luckily for me, it didn't disappoint me. It was full of mystery, discovery and romance.

Crescendo ended on a huge cliffhanger and Silence picks up a couple months after Crescendo leaves off. Nora discovers that she has been kidnapped, though no one is sure who is responsible. Nora has also lost all memory of her summer, as well as the memory of Patch and revelations she has made about Angels and Nephilim and whatnot.

This book really packs a punch. There is more drama and mystery and detective work going on. Nora is trying to piece her life back together and discover what has happened to her. I felt as frustrated as Nora at points and felt more connected with her in Silence.

Patch was as great as ever. He has had a nice transition throughout the series and I am glad that it continued into the third book. I can't say I was overly fond in book one but I am now a fan. 

The book ends on a cliffhanger with lots left to be discovered. Whilst I am a fan of the series I was preparing for this to be the last book. Alas, I am happily going to read the (hopefully) final book in the series.

Review: Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

              

Title: Overprotected
Author: Jennifer Laurens

Series: Standalone
Pages: 243

Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing
Release Date: April 29th 2011
Source: From author
Rating: 4 stars

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City. 

Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard. 

Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector. 

Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever. 

Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin. 

Daddy was wrong.

Overprotected took me a little while to warm to but once I did I was completely addicted. It consumed every thought I had. A seemingly light read with darker undertones. I would call it as a guilty pleasure.

Ashlyn is the daughter of an extremely overprotective father that has her watched constantly. She craves freedom and in a desperate attempt to gain it, she tells her father that her bodyguard is in love with her. In return, her father brings in a new bodyguard, Ashlyn's childhood enemy, in hopes of preventing a romance between his daughter and her bodyguard.

The writing style took a while to get used it. It was very simple and straight foward but it created a quick pace that kept me reading. To say the book was addictive is an understatement. I had to know what would happen and how it would end.

The synopsis sounds a little creepy but it is much worse in the book. There is creepiness from many different angles. Her father's protection was suppressive and unhealthy. I definitely sympathised with Ashlyn.

I liked both Ashlyn and Colin. I adore hate to love romances and this was no exception. There was chemistry and sexual tension between the two from the very beginning and I loved every minute of it. Their romance was lovely to read.

The ending was a huge shock. Laurens kept me guessing and there were twists and turns involving character development and plot. There were definitely some characters that I misread.

This book exceeded my expectations and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. A beautiful romance mixed in with dark elements, dealing with overprotective parents and general family life. A refreshing read!

Review: Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

     

Title: Fallen Grace
Author: Mary Hooper

Series: Standalone
Pages: 307

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: February 1st 2011
Source: For review
Rating: 4 stars

Grace Parkes has just had to do a terrible thing. Having given birth to an illegitimate child, she has travelled to the famed Brookwood Cemetery to place her small infant's body in a rich lady's coffin. Following the advice of a kindly midwife, this is the only way that Grace can think of to give something at least to the little baby who died at birth, and to avoid the ignominy of a pauper's grave. Distraught and weeping, Grace meets two people at the cemetery: Mrs Emmeline Unwin and Mr James Solent. These two characters will have a profound affect upon Grace's life. But Grace doesn't know that yet. For now, she has to suppress her grief and get on with the business of living: scraping together enough pennies selling watercress for rent and food; looking after her older sister, who is incapable of caring for herself; thwarting the manipulative and conscience-free Unwin family, who are as capable of running a lucrative funeral business as they are of defrauding a young woman of her fortune. A stunning evocation of life in Victorian London, with vivid and accurate depictions, ranging from the deprivation that the truly poor suffered to the unthinking luxuries enjoyed by the rich: all bound up with a pacy and thrilling plot, as Grace races to unravel the fraud about to be perpetrated against her and her sister. 

Fallen Grace is a beautifully written novel filled with history, mystery and family. It is my first historical fiction novel and I must say, I really enjoyed it.

The story starts with Grace having given birth and her travelling to a cemetery to bury her stillborn baby. The tone of the novel is set immediately and I automatically felt sympathy for her. The life she and her sister live, selling watercress on the streets, selling their mother's possessions; it was heartbreaking.

Grace was an incredibly strong protagonist. Despite the poverty in which she lived, she was incredibly graceful and elegant. She never acted entitled and her first thought was always for her sister Lily. Grace is like a mother to Lily, putting Lily's needs before her own. She is a mother, sister and provider all in one.

The plot goes in many different directions, a lot of them being surprising to me. The progression of the plot caught me by surprise and it was totally unpredictable. The ending was unexpected and I love it when that happens.

Fallen Grace is a book containing a lot of tragedy but at the same time it contains so much hope. The love Grace has for sister and the strength she possesses definitely reminded me what was important, especially when the world around you in treating you poorly. A nice introduction for those who haven't tried historical fiction and an enjoyable read for those that have.