My review of Through the Ever Night

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) by Veronica Rossi
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Aria has struggled to build a life for herself outside Reverie. It hasn't been easy adjusting to life in the wilderness but that struggle has been worth it with Perry by her side. 

But Perry has other challenges. His people are looking to him for answers. Answers about what happened to his nephew and what's happening to their world. And they don't trust the priviledged Aria, one of the enemy, in their midst. 


Soon he'll be forced to chose between the tribe that looks to him for leadership and the girl that looks to him for love.

Through the Ever Night, like it's prior, was a pleasure to read. It's unique plot, fascinating world and amusing characters that were introduced to us in Under the Never Sky, continue to shine brightly in this book. 

The main theme that runs through this book is SURVIVAL. Everyone is struggling to survive through challenges and obstacles being thrown in their way; may this be both literal and metaphorical. Especially our main man Perry, who has to step up as a leader and take charge of his people. Sadly, that isn't easy when most of your people hate your girlfriend...
Aria remains the strong and lovable girl we found in Under the Never Sky. Her relationship with Perry is a little shaky through the book, but you could easily tell that the two care for each other immensely. 

How could we carry on without talking about one of the most amusing of the cast? ROAR! No, I'm not trying to scare you, I'm trying to talk about Roar; an entertaining and highly likable boy. He makes situations lighter and much more funny! We also get to know him a lot better, which I LOVED BECAUSE ROAR IS AMAZING!?!?!?! If you don't love Roar, I am shaking my head at you! 

I enjoyed the plot for this book a lot. All the new settings and characters! Rossi knows what to do to catch your attention. and force you to make that all important decision, "to sleep, or not to sleep and finish the book?"

Through the Ever Night is an UNMISSABLE sequel. Yes, UNMISSABLE! Rossi's world building and characters will have you seated until the last page! Into the Still Blue needs to appear in my hands now.

Rating

Book Haul (#61)

Hey,

WINTER IS COMING! I know it's only September... but WINTER'S COMING! So long my dear over 20 degree weather and hello cloudy skies and heavy rain... Damn. But summer 2013 has been pretty good, right?

This is my third week into school complete and homework is rolling in. DEAR JOY! But we are reading To Kill a Mockingbird in English class! It's a real good book.

This week I received and borrowed:

Resist (Breathe #2) by Sarah Crossan - Received -
Thank you, Bloomsbury! I LOVED BREATHE! EEEEEEEEEK bring it on Resist!
Fever (Parallon #1) by Dee Shulman - Borrowed -
I thought this one looked pretty interesting and the blurb intrigued me so I picked it up. :)

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1) by Kady Cross - Borrowed -
I've seen this one on a few blogs and thought it looked good. I haven't read a steampunk novel in a while.

Leave a link to your Book Haul/In My Mailbox/Stacking the Shelves/Letterbox Love/Showcase Sunday in the comments so I can check it out!

Enjoy all your books my lovely people,
Sam :D

Previous posts:
Review - Undone by Cat Clarke
Review - Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
Cover reveal - The One by Kiera Cass
Waiting on Wednesday - Crash into You by Katie McGarry

The One Cover Reveal

Hey,

I'm here today because I've just seen the cover for The One by Kiera Cass, the last book in the Selection trilogy. And all I can say is that it. Is. Gorgeous.

If you don't know what The Selection trilogy is about, you can read my reviews of the first two books:

The Selection

The Elite

Nooww, HERE IS THE COVER:

The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass

Release Date: May 6, 2014

This cover is just GORGEOUS!! ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Don't you think? 

And everyone has been saying that it is a wedding dress? Hmmm, I think I agree! But will it be Prince Maxon or Aspen? I genuinely don't know but I love both of the boys and if I were America, I wouldn't know who to choose. Or perhaps she won't choose either? But that's very unlikely.

So this is out in May and gives everyone plenty of time to catch up on the books. ;)

Hope you've had a good week,

Sam :D

Waiting on Wednesday (70)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry

Release Date: November 26, 2013

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Pushing the Limits is one of the best contemporaries that I have ever read. And Dare You To is also one that I love very much. The characters are beautiful and so entertaining. I cannot wait, AT ALL, for this book from Isaiah's point of view. 

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :)

My review of Undone

Undone by Cat Clarke
Release Date: January 31, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository


Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it. 

Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself. 

Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down.

Undone is a touching and thoughtful novel that follows a troubled girl with a vendetta that may not only hurt those around her, but also herself. I enjoyed this immensely and could not stop reading!

Undone is about a girl called Jem who was in love with her best friend, Kai, who she loved even when he admitted that he was gay. When Kai kills himself because of a video shared online that not only invaded his privacy, but also shared his sexuality in the worst way possible; Jem is in ruins. But when Jem's sister comes round with twelve letters from Kai before he killed himself, instructing her to open one on the exact same day every month for a year to help her get past his death. Kai warns her, in his letters, to not try to figure who posted out the video, but Jem has a mind of her own and she's about to get revenge. No matter what.

After reading Cat Clarke's Entangled, I was left unimpressed by the story and the characters. I always knew that I'd pick up one of her books at a later date so when Undone came along I couldn't resist. And now that I've finished it, I don't regret my decision at all because this was a really good read. 

I enjoyed the story and a few of the characters, but what I REALLY loved were the letters from Kai that he left for Jem to open each month. They not only offered Jem some much-needed comfort, but they also introduce us to the character of Kai. Well, not introduce, but they allow us to learn more about his character and his bond with Jem. In each letter, I fell for the boy a little more and wished  throughout that he was MY friend. He was just that awesome.

Now, there are many things that I enjoyed, but what really gets to me is Jem. I found her personality and her revenge plan all a little bit pathetic. During the book, three names are posted through her letterbox and she knows that those three people are responsible for her best friend's death so those are the people she decides to get revenge on. One of the boys from the list, Lucas, actually becomes her boyfriend and I loved him! But the only reason why Jem was with him was to get revenge and that disgusted me because Lucas deserved so much better. 

I also felt that her revenge tac-tics were terrible. To be honest, if Jem was just a reasonable girl with some common sense then most of the story wouldn't have happened and everything would have run a lot smoother. However, apart from the annoying protagonist, I think Clarke did a wonderful job with creating the story and making it as engaging as possible. I wish it had ended differently though. The ending broke me.

How much did this book make me cry? Answer: A LOT. Once I started crying (which wasn't really that far in), anything that was remotely sad just set me off. I know, I am completely pathetic, but the story and characters were just so... SAD! Get your tissues ready.

Undone is a captivating novel that will hold your attention until the very last page. I am looking forward to more from Cat Clarke!

Rating

Book Haul (#60)

Hey,

I'm hardly reading anything at the moment because school work is taking over. AHHRR! But I'm making sure that I've got posts every week for you guys! I hope you're all enjoying the transition into Autumn.

This week I received and bought:

The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller - Bought -

I've wanted to read this book for a while and I'm very happy that I've finally got it.

In Harmony (Fenbrook Academy #2) by Helena Newbury - Received -

I'm part of the blog tour for this book and my stop is on the 11th of October so don't forget to check back!

Leave a link to your Book Haul/Stacking the Shelves/Letterbox Love/In My Mailbox/Showcase Sunday in the comments so I can check it out!

Enjoy your books,

Sam :D

Waiting on Wednesday (69)

Hey,

This week I am waiting for...

Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles #2) by Kresley Cole

Release Date: October 1, 2013

In the second book of the Arcana Chronicles Evie has now fully come into her powers as the tarot Empress. And Jackson was there to see it all. In the aftermath of killing Arthur, the tarot Alchemist, Evie realizes that a war is brewing between the other teens that, following the apocalypse, have been given powers and its kill or be killed. 

Things get even more complicated when Evie meets Death, the mysterious, sexy Endless Knight. Somehow the Empress and Death share a romantic history - one that Evie can't remember, but Death can't forget. She is drawn to the Endless Knight, but is in love with Jack. Determined to discover why she's been granted these powers, Evie struggles to accept her place in a prophecy that will either save the world, or completely destroy it.

The ending to Poison Princess literally KILLED ME. I NEED to find out what happens between Evie and Jack. I NEED TO!

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments below so I can check it out!

Have a good week,

Sam :D

My review of Shades of Earth

Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3) by Beth Revis
Release Date: May 2, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience. But this new Earth isn't the paradise that Amy had been hoping for. Amy and Elder must race to uncover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. But each new discovery brings more danger. And if their colony collapses then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been meaningless...

I didn't know what to expect from Revis in this book since she seems to pull something completely unpredictable out of the bag every time. Though what I did know was that this book was going to be absolutely amazing. And guess what? It was.

In A Million Suns, Amy and Elder discover that they are already in orbit of Centauri-Earth. I know, who saw THAT one coming? Now in Shades of Earth, they are planning to land. But the dangers down on the new earth may not be worth the effort as they find out more and more about what else is inhabiting it.

I've loved the trilogy since the very beginning, and the books have only got better along the way! Revis pulls out all the stops to deliver and unforgettable conclusion with so many plot twists that it'll blow your mind.

We get to explore a whole new world with crazy quirks and dangerous grounds. I'll say as much as I can without giving away anything so everything you read will be a complete surprise.

I loved Amy and Elder's relationship. In the midst of trying to work out the new planet, the two still have a few precious stolen moments together, which I thought was a really nice touch. With all the confustion around them, it's nice to know there's something stable and real between them.

There were so many twists and turns and surprises and shocks that I could never seem to put the book down. Shades of Earth is the conclusion that many have been dying for, and more. You won't be expecting what Revis has got planned! 

Rating

Book Haul (#59)

Hey there!

So, first week back at school and all I can say is: WHY YOU GIVE ME SO MUCH HOMEWORK?!?!?! But, it's all cool guys. I'm coping! However, this means that I've got nothing read. Nope, I've read nothing. I've had no time... but don't worry, I will get back on track...... soon.

Anyone got some amazing books to recommend to me? I've been away from the blogosphere for too long. ;)

This week I borrowed:

Casting Shadows (Flynn #3) by Sophie McKenzie - Borrowed -
These are real cute books! If you're getting into YA, definitely check this adorable, yet filled with serious issues, trilogy.
Bitter End by Jennifer Brown - Borrowed -
Trying to find some more contemporaries to read!

Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4) by Rick Riordan - Borrowed -
I've read the first two and really, really enjoyed them, but my library hasn't got the third one yet so I will have to wait! :(
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5) by Rick Riordan - Borrowed -

Leave a comment below with a link to you Book Haul/Stacking the Shelves/Letterbox Love/Showcase Sunday/In My Mailbox so I can check it out!

Enjoy your books,
Sam :)

Previous Posts:
Review - Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
Review - Stargazing from Nowhere by Isabel Thomas and Marilyn Thomas
Waiting on Wednesday - United We Spy by Ally Carter
Let's Talk - City of Bones

My review of Stargazing from Nowhere

Stargazing from Nowhere by Isabel Thomas and Marilyn Thomas
Release Date: July 22, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Kristen Morgan's blog is about to get her into trouble. Deep trouble. Online, she is known as "Stargazer" from the popular Stargazing from Nowhere blog, while in real life she is a regular fifteen-year-old high school student. This online anonymity is quite liberating, allowing her to be completely honest with her readers. Through a twist of fate, Rising Tide, the band she has bashed the most online, ends up in her small town, which sends Kristen into an excited panic. To continue gathering fresh material for her blog, she poses as a Rising Tide fan. After sneaking into the band's private party, she comes face to face with the band's drummer, Michael Stevens, who happens to be even more gorgeous in person than she cares to admit. Something unexpected also happens to her when she meets him: she becomes giddy, nervous, and inarticulate, leading Kristen to realize that her interest in Michael has nothing to do with her blog, but everything to do with her heart. As Kristen and Michael grow closer, does she have to make a choice between blog or boyfriend...Or is the choice made for her?

Stargazing from Nowhere is contemporary novel about a girl with a hit blog who has been trashing a band online until they come to her home town and she ends up getting to know them a whole lot better. And I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would! The concept of the story is very interesting and I found myself getting more and more caught up in it.

At first, I wasn't too keen on the main character, Kristen, who has a blog called "Stargazing from Nowhere" which has become quite popular over the time that she has been bashing a band called "Rising Tide". She wasn't very likable, but overtime, she toned down the bashing and we saw the more calm girl underneath.

I really liked the idea of the band coming to her home town, and her later falling for one of the band members, Michael, and him for her. She gets to know him beyond how he is portrayed in the news. And he is absolutely lovely! I fell for him myself. 

Kristen and Michael's relationship... It was adorable! I loved their ups and their downs. The cute and light scenes to the more serious ones dealing with much more important issues. I liked the whole idea of Kristen having to juggle her blog and her feelings for Michael, because she can't exactly tell Michael that she's the blogger who dragged their name to the ground, can she?

The characters were all cool, with their own quirks and personalities. We meet Kristen's best friend Maggie, and Michael's ex-girlfriend, Evangeline, who is a famous actress, and even Peter, Kristen's long time guy-friend, who may or may not have feelings for her. Anyhow, I enjoyed the drama that these characters brought into some of the scenes!

Stargazing from Nowhere is an exciting and quirky YA contemporary novel that deserves some attention for it's well-written storyline and humorous characters. I cannot wait to read the sequel, Wish Carefully, which will be out later this year.

Rating

A review copy was provided by the authors

Waiting on Wednesday (68)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter

Release Date: September 5, 2013

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

I've found the series very interesting so far! I love all the twists and the characters. Especially Zach... Yeaaah, I can't wait to read more about him.

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments so I can check it out!

Have a good week,

Sam :D

My review of Sweet Peril

Sweet Peril (Sweet #2) by Wendy Higgins 
Release Date: April 20, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things. 

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.


When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

Sweet Peril is the romantic and edgy follow-up to Sweet Evil that Kaidan fans will adore. 

Slightly shorter than Sweet Evil, but just as exciting, Sweet Peril picks up quite a while after the ending to the previous book. Anna is working when she has to and has been Kaidan free for months, but she can't stop thinking about him. When a long lost message from the angels comes into light, Anna has to travel country to country gathering the Nephilim who may support them in the future. At the same time of trying to give them hope, Anna has to sort out her feelings for Kaidan who may or may not feel the same way.

I thought that Sweet Evil was extremely unique and captivating, I found that Sweet Peril was just as romantic and steamy, but lacking in the action department, which I'm sure will be made up in the last book, but I can't help but wish a little more happened in this one.

I was having a Kaidan withdraw for about half the book before he started reappearing frequently. Throughout the book I was just thinking, "Kaidan, where are yooou?" He's changed a lot since we last saw him in Sweet Evil; he's hotter, sweeter, and dare I say, more mature? He's finally made up his mind about how he feels about Anna, and about time too! I can't wait to see what path their relationship takes in the conclusion.

Sweet Peril is full of romance that fans will adore, but also brings in some new characters to keep the story interesting. I cannot wait to find out how it all ends in the explosive conclusion, Sweet Reckoning. I need it.

Rating

Weekly Favourites (4)

Hey,

This post is all about showing, you know, your favourite things... that week. Favourite cover, favourite book, favourite series, favourite author, anything book-ish I guess. :D

Feel free to join in and leave a link to your post in the comments!

--------------------------------

Favourite Cover:

World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2) by Susan Ee - November 19, 2013 -

I love the colors for this one! And the texture... Not too keen on the font, but let's not get picky. Angelfall was awesome (REVIEW) and I'm looking forward to this one.

--------------------------------

Favourite Book that I've Read:

------------------------------

Favourit Series:

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan -
I have now finished the first two books and I adore them! I'm so upset with myself that I didn't read the books before I saw the films, but never mind that because I have a long time until the next few movies to read the whole series. 

I'm slightly disappointed with how much they changed in the movies, but nevertheless, I really, really loved them! Especially Sea of Monsters! The graphics were awesome and Logan Lerman is a wonderful Percy........ and he's so good loookinngg!

--------------------------------

Favourite Girl in a Dress:

Horizon (Soul Seekers #4) by Alyson Noel - November 19, 2013 -

Over the past "Weekly Favourites" I have chosen a few girls in dresses on the cover that have their dresses fading into some sort of element. There's been smoke (Everbound) and there's been water (Teardrop), and now there's fire! This one looks super cool and I love it! I love the dress, the background, the colours.

I don't really like the books though... Shame.

---------------------------------

Favourite Blog:
The YA Sisterhood - Jennifer and Amy
This week it has to be The YA Sisterhood blog! This blog is run by many! Jen always has something interesting to talk about or post. She updates you on all the popular bookish news and releases. Her review are straight to the point, insightful and, from my opinion, very trustworthy. The girls at YA S play a big part in the book blogging world by hosting the much-loved YA Crush Tourney and YA Heroine Tourney. If you haven't checked out their blog, GOOOOOOO!

Enjoy your books,
Sam :D

Book Haul (#58)

Hey,

Sorry for not posting a Book Haul post last week! I did not receive any books, and didn't make a trip to the library. I've had a crazy week! I'm back at school and gah, the pressure is on. It's all about working towards GCSEs now and I'm SOSOSO scared, but also ready for the challenges!

This means that I have to schedule my posts for the week and the upcoming weeks so I can focus on my studies. I'm sorry if I don't reply to your comments or emails right away! I will get back to you, don't worry. :) Also, I'm NOT abandoning my blog. I am determined to keep it up and running, despite everything that is going on.

So, this week I received:

Earthbound (Earthbound #1) by Aprilynne Pike - Received -
Thank you, HarperCollins! I have never Aprilynne but I've heard fairly good things so I'm interested in diving into this one.

Leave a link to your Book Haul/In My Mailbox/Stacking the Shelves/Letterbox Love/Showcase Sunday in the comments below so I can check it out!

Enjoy your books,
Sam :D

Previous posts:
Review - Angelfall by Susan Ee
Review - Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Review - Awakenings by J.E. Shannon
Review - Fracture by C.J. Daugherty
Waiting on Wednesday - The Forever of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
Let's Talk - The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

My review of Cursed

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository


Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows. 

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he's a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she's more than interested. There's just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she's willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?

But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she's not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

Cursed is a gripping standalone novel by the one and only Jennifer L. Armentrout. It's something fresh and exciting, and like nothing I've ever read before. This paranormal romance will sweep you off your feet and take you on a crazy journey full of interesting characters and dangerous secrets.

You think your life sucks? Well, read about a girl who can't touch any living being without killing it. Imagine never hugging the one person who means more to you than anything. Imagine never being able to kiss that one special person. After a fatal car accident, Ember dies but is brought back to life by her younger sister. Though getting another chance at life comes with a curse for Ember. She can not touch anyone. Especially not Hayden, a boy who strolls into her life claiming to know more about her curse. But to get information, Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father who has a strange hobby of homing children with strange and unique gifts. Ember goes along willingly, but only because she would do anything to hold her sister in her arms again... and maybe kiss Hayden, which would be a pretty good bonus. And everything would be great if not for the fact that maybe the car accident was not an accident. Someone wants her dead. But Ember's not giving up without a fight.

Cursed was amazing. How could it be any less when it has been written by Jennifer? I loved the whole idea for the book, the awesome characters and the romance. I could not put it down because it was so damn good! Jennifer's main characters always have very sarcastic tones so it is hard not to laugh at some point. 

I felt very sympathetic towards Ember. She loves her sister more than anything and she can't even hug her due to her killer touch. Things start to look up when Hayden arrives. Handsome, funny and intelligent, how could you possible resist? I fell for him as soon as he showed up. He has a very likable personality and he is extremely supportive; whenever Ember may need him, he's there. Their relationship was just way too cute and swoon worthy. I loved all the scenes when the two were together because the two are very entertaining to read about! 

There were a few things that let me down slightly. I thought that the ending was a little bit rushed. Everything was crammed into the last 20 pages of the book, and not even all the threads were tied up! I still have many questions that I demand answers for, which means Jennifer will simply have to write a sequel. Also, I thought it was slightly predictable. I predicted a few things that happened and that for me was a bummer since I wanted a mind-blowing conclusion that I could never have seen coming. But overall, what I'm trying to say is that I wish the book was longer and had more answers.

Cursed was a great read that paranormal romance lovers cannot miss since its unique plot line will captivate you until the end. Bring on some more JLA!

Rating

Waiting on Wednesday (67)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

The Forever of Ella and Micha (The Secret #2) by Jessica Sorensen

Release Date: October 22, 2013

Ella and Micha have survived tragedy and heartbreak. When they're together, anything seems possible. But now they are thousands of miles apart, and managing their long distance relationship will put their love to the test.

Ella is back at school, trying hard not worry so much about her future. But with her father in and out of rehab, she's having a hard time making it through the days. All she wants is Micha by her side, but she refuses to let her problems get in the way of his dreams.

Micha spends his days touring the country with his band, but deep down he knows something is missing. Being away from Ella is harder than he thought it would be. He wants her closer to him-needs her with him. But he won't ask her to leave college, just to be with him.

The few moments they do spend together are intense and passionate, but it only makes it more difficult when they have to part. They know they want to be together, but is wanting something enough to get them to their forever?

I know the book is already out in the US but I'm waiting for the UK to publish it. I read The Secret of Ella and Micha and thought it was super cute!!! I can't wait to read more of Ella and Micha because the ending to the first book was way too cute. <3 You can check out my review HERE!

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :)

Let's Talk: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Movie

Hello there!

Welcome to another installment of "Let's Talk!", and I'm here today to talk about the movie with a lot of hype around it "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones", the adaptation of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the first book in the six book series "The Mortal Instruments".

I'm a big, big fan of the books and I was very excited for the film considering I've been following the books for a few years now. I watched it last Tuesday and walked out of the cinema feeling pretty happy! I was happy with the scenes, the humor, the action, the actors, and I came to like Jamie Campbell as Jace, after hating on the cast selection for so long.

It's always important to the fan of the books that they don't change much in the movie, right? Well, I'm please to say that they didn't change too much. One thing that they did change though, was Simon turning into a rat. Nope, that never happened. Not that I minded, because we just got to see more of Robert Sheehan's face, but it would have been nice for them to keep that part in.

After watching the movie, I looked up some reviews and saw that critics hadn't been very pleased... AT ALL. Many have given it 1 star, or at most 2, and have even had the nerve to compare it to Twilight! Fine, I can see how they may have some meeting points, like the love triangle and the wolves and vampires, but that's where the similarities end!

I'm sorry if I start bashing Twilight, but that's just because the movies were truly awful (but Stephanie Meyer did a wonderful job with the books), and I don't think that City of Bones deserves to be compared!

Everyone is like, "OMG, save our souls from another YA book to movie!" When these people have NEVER read the book and just assume that it's always the same. Well, y'all need to shut the hell up and run along and read the books and not assume that all YA books to movies and not all trying to copy "The Hunger Games" my having a feisty female lead. But all that jazz and speculation deserves its own post to discuss it. What is important, is that The Mortal Instruments is unique and people just need to give it a chance before judging it as another YA movie fail like "Beautiful Creatures" was.

Here are some of the things said by critics and featured on Rotten Tomatoes:

"This desperate Twilight wannabe hits more than its own share of clunky notes." 

"It desperately gathers clichés like a teen fantasy Frankenstein that doesn't realize its secret identity: parody."

"Who cares about a life-or-death battle with evil spirits when there's angst-ridden teen relationship drama in the mix?"

Now, what have we got here? To be completely honest, I feel like they were a tiny bit harsh. Especially the third one about not being able to enjoy the action because of the romance? WHAT? 

I have no idea whether the critics were simply being unnecessarily harsh, feeding off each other, or just saying what they feel, but the movie did not deserve that! Of course, I am no movie critic, or movie reviewer, but I know when people are being unfair when I see it! 

On Rotten Tomatoes, it says that 71% of the users liked it, and this was based off over 27,000 ratings. They seemed to enjoy it? I've even seen people who share my view of the critics being a bit to harsh. Some have even thought about not going to see it because of all the negative reviews from the critics, but have ended up loving it?

I simply don't understand how Twilight made it so far... The first movie was a mess of terrible acting from Kristen Stewart and nothing happening in general. But the next 4 movies were definitely to do with Taylor Lautner's lack of upper body clothing. Surely, people will want to watch characters with EMOTIONS and HUMOR and decent action and a set of much more interesting characters, no? 

They are not giving any credit to the actors, who did an amazing job bringing the characters from the book to life! I loved the humor that Jace and Simon brought to the screen! Did I laugh? Yes. Did I cry? (Even though I hate to admit it) Yes. (BUT FOR GOOD REASONS! It was the Simon scene. Gif below) Did I love it and fall about on the floor begging the heavens to give me the next 5 movies? Yes.... well, I didn't fall to the floor, but yes I did really love it! 

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Jace: In future, Clarissa, it might be wise to mention that you already have a man in your bed, to avoid such tedious situations.

Simon: You invited him into bed?

Jace: Ridiculous, isn't it? We would never have all fit.

Clary: I didn't invite him into bed,We were just kissing.

Jace: Just kissing?How swiftly you dismiss our love.

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Lily Collins portrayed Clary very well, I thought. She has the image and she has the attitude. Even though I was not too keen on her being selected to play the role at first, when I watched the trailer I knew she was perfect. And watching the movie just made me a very big fan of her's! She is a very good actress and I'll need to check out more of her films.

With Jamie Campbell, I honestly, honestly HATED him. He looked strange in Twilight and I didn't understand why the casting directors had picked him over Douglas Booth and Max Irons, two very popular actors who also auditioned for the role, I even thought of hunting Alex Pettyfer and making him accept the role that was offered to him in the first place. But, after getting into the movie, getting use to Jamie's face and his attitude to Jace's character... I really liked him! He didn't play Jace as... snarky as in the book, but he did bring his own level of humor and arrogance to the role.

ROBERT SHEEHAN! I cannot praise him ENOUGH! He was perfect. Even better than I was expecting. He even looked better than how I imagined Simon in my head. He pulled off the geeky look very well! I loved, loved, loved him! And I cannot wait to see him sexay face in the next (hopefully) 5 movies.

Of course, I have to agree with some reviews, the CGI was occasionally dodgy, but that was only on a small number of a occasions. Apart from that, I was seriously impressed with how they made the Institute, and the wolves, etc. OMG, the Silent Brothers really scared me.

ANYWAYS, I ADORED the film and y'all need to stop hating so much considering how much work has gone into it. I'm just grateful that it's on the big screen! I CANNOT WAIT FOR CITY OF ASHES!! For all you who don't know, they are beginning filming City of Ashes on September 23rd, and will be released in 2014. GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!

To all those who haven't seen the film but are too scared to because of the critics' reviews.... JUST GO! Most fans of the book that I've heard from have loved it and I'm sure you will too. If you don't love it, oh well, at least you gave it a try.

Please feel free to leave your opinion on what I have said/or the movie in the comments because I would love to hear what you think.

Best,

Sam :)