Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

5/5 Stars

So last week I did the unthinkable, I watched a movie before I read the book. I was in a bit of a reading slump, having picked up and put down 2 books and just wasn't really feeling them, so I decided to watch a movie. I'd been meaning to read the Vampire Academy books but after a failed attempt to read the first one in summer I shamefully decided to watch the film. It was brilliant. I mean lets be honest, the film itself was pretty awful in places just like most book-to-movie adaptations, but despite this I was hooked and I needed my next fix. After finishing the movie after 1am, I then went straight online and ordered the whole series of books. 

Vampire Academy sucked me right back into the vampire world. I was a bit of a vampire addict a few years ago, but with all the Hollywood hype and television shows, vampires seemed to be everywhere. My heart needed a break from the genre to build some darkness and mystery back into the vampire lore. I believe I found the right series to spark up my love again.

Rose Hathaway is what's known as a Dhampire, a race of preternatural children born of vampire-human relationship who protect the Moroi (vampires in Mead's world). Since she was a child, she's been best friend's with Princess Vasilissa, a member of the Moroi royalty. The day Lissa's parents die in a horrible car accident, Lissa and Rose become more than simple friends, they become bonded psychically. After that, Rose became even more determined to keep Lissa safe and it's becoming ever more dangerous as someone seems to be out to destroy the more fragile Lissa. The book starts out with Lissa and Rose in hiding after running away from St. Valdimir's Academy, a prep school for their kind. Soon enough, they are caught and sent back. Though the danger is still very real, Rose is determined to stick it out as she quickly realizes she is ill equipped to keep Lissa safe.

Rose is sassy and rebellious, but with an edge that clearly shows she understands a lot more about being an adult than you would initially assume, but she doesn't always show it. The world created here is vivid and realistic, something easy to get lost in. All the characters are developed well and you can get a really good sense of them in a short space of time. I love the relationship between Rose and her teacher, Dimitri Belikov and the way it's created. It is a forbidden romance, but it's not all consuming. They grow closer as they train together through discovering more about the other and who they are. Although romance is a big theme here, it's not the main one. It's the major subplot but it's not the focus of the book, nor does Rose spend all her time mooning after Dimitri. As for Lissa, I didn't really click with her much. I found she was more of a secondary character and I didn't get her at first, nor Rose's over-protectiveness of her. She did grow on me towards the end where I realized she's not just a wuss. She does have a bit of steel in her after all. The side characters were enjoyable and I sure loved to hate Mia!

I loved how fiercely Rosa and Lissa are attached to each other, even if their actions were a bit juvenile and mean at times.  They have a lot of room to grow.  I really like Christian’s back-story he seems like the underdog that I’m going to pull for long term. I will say some of the ridiculous cattiness of high school was revisited for me throughout.  Boys claiming to sleep with people they haven’t, girls spreading just as many rumors to win an imaginary battle (I don’t miss high school).  A section of the book really delved into the motivations of trying to hurt others through rumor and the unending cycle of hurt produced by that.  But that said there were great moments of snarky humor and some bonds of true friendship shown.

The fact that the book wasn't told from the POV of the princess, but from her friend - her unofficial guardian (technically Rose is still in training), made this book so refreshing. You don't see this happen a lot in fiction, at least not the books I've read up until now. I've always wanted to know the stories behind the protectors, how they developed their fighting skills, how they strengthened their minds to protect their charges no matter the cost.

The way sensitive topics that until not long ago were a taboo area are addressed makes me want to hand Vampire Academy out in schools around the country. Depression and self-harm are portrayed in a startling accurate manner. It shows the view from the close friend, seeing what the sufferer is doing to themselves, not quite understanding it, but accepting that it's a part of them. I won't spoil the outcome of that story line, but its one which touched my heart.

What I found refreshing about this book is the consistency so to speak. I feel like each page flowed nicely and the story being told wasn't rushed nor did it drag. Mead has crafted an awesome story-line with some pretty down right awesome characters. The story is captivating and has me chomping at the bit for more!

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T5W: Top 5 Books Over 500 Pages

This weeks top 5 Wednesday is the top 5 books I have read that are over 500 pages long. Looking through my favorites I have realized that I need to start picking up more lengthy books. I have quite a few on my tbr pile so perhaps i'll be picking those up sooner rather than later.  So without further ado, in no particular order, here are my top 5 books over 500 pages:

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J K Rowling - 607 pages

Without a doubt my favorite book in the series. For me, this is the book where everything began pulling together.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth - 525 pages

I absolutely loved this book. For me, Divergent was a bit of a struggle to get through but the character development in Insurgent really made it for me. I have yet to finish Allegiant (I have issues finishing series' plus I couldn't bring myself to read it during study leave after I finished Insurgent)

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - 817 pages of brilliance

One of my all time favorite books. Reading this book makes me want to live. This book is just comfort to me. When the days get short and the nights get cold, I always go back to this book.

City of Glass by Cassandra Claire - 541 pages

Yes I know, again with The Mortal Instruments, but I just can't help myself I love these books! 

The Host by Stephanie Meyer - 620 pages

Like most other teenagers I was once infatuated with the Twilight series, but after growing out of it I tried my hand at Meyer's adult book and I have to say I adore it. 

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Future Fast Approaching

When I have a lot going on in my life I tend to get very panicked and my brain keeps whirring, unable to process anything fully. This time of year is always incredibly difficult what with it being the lead up to Prelims (Scottish mock exams), Christmas, and this year there is the added pressure of UCAS applications to add to the mix. 

To put it simply, its terrifying. From this point in the school year onward, everything goes very very quickly. Before I know it exam leave will be upon us once again, and this year that means my high school years have come to a close. In preparation for this we are all going through the stress that is UCAS applications in the hopes of getting accepted into university next year. And let me just say, you think people are lying when they say personal statements are soul destroying? You think that they're exaggerating? Well you're wrong. It is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

Knowing that the entire future of your education comes down to less than 4,000 characters in which you have to demonstrate your aptitude for the course, understanding of the material, relevant experience, hobbies, skills, and all the while remain mature and professional while showing your personality is the most frightening thing I have ever experienced. It is the most important piece of writing that I will ever complete and the pressure of getting it 'just right' is unbearable.

I'm one of the lucky ones however. I know what I want to do as a future career, and exactly what degree I need to get there. I've got it easy. Many people have no idea what they want to do with their life at this stage, and that's to be expected. I mean come on, we're only 17. Realistically how many 17 year-old kids know what they want to do as a career in 10, 20 or 30 years time? I certainly don't, just because I want to do something now, it doesn't mean that passion will continue.

The whole process leads to a lot of self-questioning and doubt. Am I sure that's the course I want to do? Is that the University for me? Do I want to spend the next 4 years of my life in that city? Am I ideally suited to that course? Can I cope with the workload? Am I willing to rack up thousands of pounds worth of student debt in return for a piece of paper and a few letters after my name at the risk of later deciding against that career choice? I guess part of the fun is jumping in head-first just hoping for the best.

October book haul

Yes, it is nearly the end of November and I am only just getting around to posting my October book haul but a few of these I have ordered from America so have only just arrived. Seeing as I have already purchased quite a few books this month already, I though it would be best to just wait and post the haul once all of last months books arrived. Ok enough of my rambling, here are the books I bought in October.

1. Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
2. Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - a repurchase as I had the paperback previously
3. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpartick
4. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
5. Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick (can you see a trend here?)
6. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor
7. Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan
8. Angelfall by Susan Ee
9. World After by Susan Ee
10. The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines
11. Forsaken by Jana Oliver
12. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
13. Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
14. The Glimpse by Claire Merle
15. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
16. Divergent by Veronica Roth
17. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
18. Allegiant by Veronica Roth (only had ebooks of this series previously)
19. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
20. Nightschool by C. J. Daugherty
21. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
22. The Manifesto on How to be Interesting by Holly Bourne
23. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
24. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
25. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
26. Briar Rose by Jana Oliver
27. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
28. Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Yes, I went completely overboard last month, but thanks to Amazon marketplace, play.com and some nifty Waterstones offers and vouchers, I didn't end up spending too much. This is the point where I would normally waffle about trying to cut down next month but realistically we all know that that's not going to happen. And I have already purchased quite a few books this month, that along with a couple of pre-orders and the fact that I'm taking a trip down to Glasgow at the end of the month will make for a pretty good haul next month also so stay tuned. I am very excited to show you the books I've purchased this month.

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Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

5/5 Stars

My oh my, how can I begin to do this book justice? I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book, I've been lusting after it for a few years now due to the gorgeous cover and have recently been hearing some really good things about it over on youtube, so I caved and added it to my ever-growing tbr shelf. It didn't stay there long. 

The novel centers around a teenage girl called Penryn who is living in a world post angel apocalypse who destroyed the world as we know it. She watched in horror as an angel named Raffe is brutally stripped of his wings and as she tries to help him she angers his perpetrators and is forced to watch as her wheelchair-bound sister is taken away. Penryn demands that Raffe must provide her with information and assistance to help her recover her sister, and the two natural enemies begin an adventure in which they must outwit danger at every turn. 

I think this book may have ruined the entire urban fantasy genre for me because honestly, where do I go from here? This is without a doubt one of the best written books I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and without a doubt in my top 5 books that I have read this year. This is how you write a book about angels. This is how you write a kick-ass heroine. This is how you write a gut wrenching romance. This is how every book should be written.

From the moment you turn the first page of this book you aren't given the chance to breath. You are immediately catapulted into a world where angels roam the skies and humans fight for their survival. Susan Ee's writing is beautiful, flowing and engaging, keeping you flipping the pages to find out more about the wonderful characters that she has created. Penryn's voice is incredibly refreshing.Having been trained in various self-defense and martial-arts techniques, she is a true survivalist. Strong willed, determined and head strong, she is one kick-ass heroine. She also has a vulnerability about her which makes the reader connect to her. She doesn't enjoy fighting, but she will to save herself and those she loves. 

 Raffe is self-assured, witty, and gorgeous - everything you can expect from a typical male protagonist right? Wrong. Raffe is a much deeper character than any usually featured in Young Adult novels. Raffe has a long and mysterious past, which I am desperate to find out more about, but he is also compassionate, loyal, caring, trustworthy, and sweet beyond measure. His relationship with Penryn progresses slowly, steadily building up in a way that simply increased the passion between them. The romance in no way detracted from the pounding pace of the plot and took a glorious backseat, but it was present and subtle and beautiful all the same. It's the type of romance that leaves so much more imagination, for interpretation, and for growth that I couldn't not envy Ee's easy way of incorporating it into the tale. 

The book, in my opinion, is flawless. There is nothing at all that I can criticize about it, not one plot hole, not one single thing that I didn't like about it, and I'm a really picky reader. This book has everything, it has romance, sci-fi, paranormal elements, gore, mystery and so much more. While the first part of the book, with all their hiding and escaping was great, the second part when they get to San Francisco was stunning. Very dark, a bit gory, definitely sick in some parts, I was blown away. I'll just say that there will be some cannibal monsters, some scorpion-angels and metallic teeth involved. Even the ending was extremely good and while it ends with a sort of cliffhanger that left me craving for the next book, it's bearable. But lets just say, the second book is sitting on my bedside table waiting for me to dive in later tonight. And maybe I forgot to mention this is a self-published book? So, so, sorry for many published authors, this book puts to shame so many of them. 

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T5W: Top 4 Rebellion Groups

And so Wednesday rolls around again, and with it it brings another Top 5 Wednesday. This week we are going to talk about Top 4 Rebellion Groups. Yes, top 4 as I don't feel comfortable recommending books that I honestly didn't enjoy/haven't gotten around to reading yet so I'm sticking with 4. This was a tough one for me and has made me realize that I need to expand my reading scope a little but thankfully I have discovered a few good books by watching/reading top 5's from other people in the community which you can find here in the complete list of wednesday-ers. 

This week there were a few obvious books that came to me straight away as honestly I'm pretty sure they will be on everyone's lists, but a few more I had to think about quite a bit. This week there is no particular order to my choices as I found it quite hard to choose favorites, so without further ado, lets get started. 

The Circle - The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Claire

A group of Shadowhunters formed by Valentine Morgenstern who rebelled against the Clave in an attempt to purify the world for humans.

Dumbledore's Army - Harry Potter books by J K Rowling

This was probably the most obvious choice on the list as I'm pretty sure everyone and their mother (i'm pretty sure that's the wrong analogy but lets just roll with it) has read the series or at very least watched the movies, but how could I not include this iconic group of students who stood up against the evil Umbridge?

District 13 - The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Way too many spoilers could come out of me describing this to you, so instead I will just urge you to go read the books. Do it. You won't be disappointed.  

The Divergents - The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

Four, Christina, Tris, Tori and many more individuals classed as Divergents as they cannot be placed into one niche rebel against the Erudite, Dauntless and most importantly the system in an attempt to get outside the fence. 

So what are your top 5 rebellion groups? Leave them in the comments below! xx

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I choose happy

I am a firm believer in the fact that life is just one giant learning curve, whether consciously or subconsciously, we are continually learning new things, new ways to deal with situations and new thought patterns. Recently I had a little epiphany of sorts, which seems like a pretty obvious idea and is something people have been telling others for decades, but when it comes from somewhere within yourself you are more inclined to think about it.

Don't let yourself settle with sadness. Don't choose to accept that. Choose to be better than that. Choose happy.

Now I'm not talking about depression or other mental illnesses here, I am well aware that you cannot choose to not be depressed. I'm talking about those days where you just feel a little crap.

My ultimate goal in life is to be happy. Now I know that not every day is going to be roses and unicorns (unfortunately) but what I wish for more than anything else is that the good will outweigh the bad. That even if its been a downright shitty month, I know that there is another good, week, day, or hour just waiting around the corner for me. But I don't want to focus on 'then', on the future. So I decided to start now. Because the longer you wait for the future, the shorter it will be. If something makes you happy do it. If it doesn't, don't.

Some days, focusing on the positive seems like the most difficult thing in the world, but its a process. You have to start small. Sometimes a good day as just as simple as a good cup of coffee and the right attitude. 

So if you do one thing today, take a long, hard thing about what makes you happy? What makes your heart feel so full that you're pretty sure it might burst? What gives you that giddy feeling where you feel like you want to skip everywhere while bursting out into song like a Disney princess? What makes you squeeze your arms around your chest with a stupid grin on your face and makes you feel the need to squeal? Got it? Well do it. Do more of that thing. And if nothing comes to mind right now don't worry, with time you will find it. And when you do remember not to neglect it just because other things may seem more important. Nothing is as important as making yourself happy.  

Review: The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

3.5/5 Stars

Before reading this book I went for a nose on goodreads to see what I was getting myself in for and the mixed reviews left me feeling skeptical. I picked up this book on a whim after seeing it in many a bookhauls recently, so after reading a few scathing reviews and hearing that many didn't even finish the book I was feeling rather reluctant to pick it up. I decided to give it a go and let me tell you I am so glad that I did. I read this book in one sitting. I picked it up at the back of 10 last night and it kept me up up into the small hours desperate to get to the end. I will say that at about half way through I did consider putting it back down as I felt that there was no way there could have been a 'happy ending' as such but I pushed through and I'm really glad that I did. 

Ashton Gray had been friends with Beau and Sawyer Vincent since they were young.
Born mischief makers Ashton and Beau had a special connection and were always getting themselves into all sorts of trouble,leaving Sawyer to get them out of it. As they grew up the boys started to notice Ashton change. Now a beautiful young woman the boys both secretly yearn for her, but only one steps forward and claims her. With the relationship between Ash and Sawyer blooming, Beau gets left behind, he doesn't want to see the girl he loves with his cousin and so he follows his own path. Three years later Ash has molded herself into the perfect girlfriend of the towns Prince Charming. But while Sawyer is away on a family vacation Beau and Ash pick up their friendship, reconnecting. Except this time Ash realises that maybe the other Vincent boy is the boy she should have never left behind, maybe he is the one that understands her best. Maybe she chose the wrong Vincent boy. 

I really liked Ash as a character. Generally when reading a contemporary that contains a love triangle the girl stuck in the middle becomes incredibly grating but that was not the case here. I loved that she realized what she really felt and acknowledge it but chose to save Beau and Sawyer's relationship instead. The chemistry between Ashton and Beau was brilliant. I loved their interactions and banter. In hindsight, perhaps Beau was a little possessive of Ashton, but when I was reading it wasn't something that bothered me. I think that's because Ashton is most definitely the kind of girl who can stick up for herself and isn't afraid to speak her mind to Beau, or anyone else later on. When Ashton lets herself be walked all over, I wanted to shake and her, and yell that I knew she was made of stiffer stuff than the way she was acting. It's always frustrating to see a strong character acting weak. Ashton realizes that's exactly what she's been doing, and Beau helps her break through her "good girl" patterns. She saw it as an internal struggle between being the good girl or the bad girl, but really it was about being the person everyone expected her to be or following her heart and being her true self.  

I liked Sawyer, but not nearly as much as Beau. Probably because we get to know a lot more about Beau, being that the story alternates between his point of view and Ashton's. Some of my favorite parts were when we were inside Beau's head. This is definitely a book for older teens and young adults. I loved how we got both Beau and Ash's point of views, it was great to have the insight into the loneliness and the feelings of want on Beau's side and also the mounting pressure on Ash to do the right thing, but also do what she wanted. Beau truly had loved her from the beginning , you get to see how he accepted her for who she truly was, not who she had become, and of course that was hugely important to the exhausted pretender Ash.

This book is short and sweet. It's quite predictable and if you have an issue with reading about cheating this book isn't for you, but its the characters that make this book, not the plot. They really draw you in. This book is perfect if what you're looking for is something lighter to split up a run of reading hard-to grasp fantasy or paranormal books. It's a very easy read that you can just float through easily, with fluffy moments that make your heart feel like its about to burst. So if that's what you're after I would definitely recommend you check it out. 

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T5W: Favorite Couples

So I have decided to give Top Five Wednesday a go, and this weeks topic is Top Five Favorite Couples. This has been a very hard 5 for me to pick and there is a good chance that it will have changed in a few months so I might do an updated top 5 at the start of next year. Lets get started then shall we?

5. Clary and Jace - The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Claire

I can honestly say that this is the most complicated relationship I have ever read about and I am extremely thankful that I lead an incredibly dull life in comparison. I was hooked on this relationship from the get-go.

4. Ron and Hermione - Harry Potter series by J K Rowling

I grew up with the Harry Potter series and identify a lot with Hermione, so to see her FINALLY get together with Ron after years of waiting, still makes me very happy. I just love how their relationship builds over time and that there is none of that irritating insta-love that is incredibly apparent in many books.

3. Luce and Daniel - Fallen by Lauren Kate

I have only read the first two books in the series at this point so I can only refer to them, but by god do I love these books. Luce and Daniels relationship truly captivated me. I found Passion very difficult to get into, but plan on trying my hand at it again in the near future. 

2. Travis and Abby - Beautiful Disaster by Jaime McGuire

Putting it simply their relationship is a hot mess. Their love is intense, unstable, and incredibly dysfunctional but thats what made me love its so much. I just feel like this is such a real and genuine portrayal of how some relationships are and although they are messy, they can work. I have even given in to my dislike of books narrated from a diffrent perspective and bougth Walking Disaster which is the same story but from Travis' point of view.

1. Tris and Four - Divergent series by Veronica Roth

What can I say about this relationship that hasn't already been said? I just..just read the books. Trust me.

So what are your top 5 couples? Leave them in the comments below! xx

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Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

4/5 Stars

I don't even know how to begin describing my feelings towards this book. Firstly let me just say, yes, I know I am WAY behind by only just getting round to picking this book up but there has been A LOT of hype about it and I generally find that when reading a hugely popular book that everyone is raving about can often end me finding the book rather anti-climatic, wondering what made the book so fabulous that everyone feels the need to share their love of it. But in this case, I get it. I adored this book. 

I will admit it did take me a bit to get into but whether that was to do with the book itself or more just to do with not finding the time to read a good chunk at once I'm not sure. But once I did get into it, at around 80 pages in, I finished it in a couple of hours. 

Rainbow Rowell captures the essence of adolescence with such skill.Set in the 80's the book centers around the lives of two teenagers, Park - a half Korean boy with a relatively cushy lifestyle - and Eleanor - a slightly overweight girl who lives with her highly dysfunctional family- and deals with many issues that are integral in the lives of teenagers (and adults). Park starts off as a really cool guy, a little mean but you still get the feeling that hes a really nice person. At first I didn't think I would like Park but as the book continued I grew to love him, he's not as confident as he tries to come across and to be honest he is a bit of a nerd but then so am I so that's probably why I love him. 

Eleanor. Ahh Eleanor. I absolutely adore Eleanor. She's awkward, has frizzy hair and a bad dress sense. She appears to everyone else like she doesn't care what anybody thinks of her but in reality she just wants to be invisible, but what with bright red hair and the clothes she wears that's impossible. Eleanor is adorable. She's so unsure of herself, but still intelligent and caring and adventurous. The more I got into the book the more I identified with Eleanor. And the more I admired her cool and calm reactions to situations. 

I thought the two of them worked well together and brought out the best in each other. Their relationship progressed naturally as well which i thought was wonderful given the usual 'insta-love' in YA contemporary's. 

The book dealt with a lot of issues present in all teenagers lives. Parent's are such an integral part of teenage life - they are the reason you can do things, the reason you can't do things, the reason you have money, etc. This book had parents that were just as important, interesting, and developed as the main characters and I so appreciated that. I especially enjoyed Park's parents: they were so complex and confused about their son, but ultimately so supportive. I love that basically every character in this book was weird and quirky and individual. I could imagine so many imperfections in everybody, they felt so real. This book made me laugh, cry and even shout at it a few times, and that for me signifies a good book. 

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