Book Review: Fifty Shades Freed by E L James

Title: Fifty Shades Freed

Author: E L James

Publisher/format: The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House, Kindle Edition

How I got this:  Purchased

Challenges: 2012 ebook challenge

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

When unworldly student Anastasia Steele first encountered the driven and dazzling young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both of their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and, ultimately, repelled by Christian’s singular erotic tastes, Ana demands a deeper commitment. Determined to keep her, Christian agrees.

Now, Ana and Christian have it all—love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of possibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades will not be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of them would anticipate. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own identity. And Christian must overcome his compulsion to control as he wrestles with the demons of a tormented past.

Just when it seems that their strength together will eclipse any obstacle, misfortune, malice, and fate conspire to make Ana’s deepest fears turn to reality.

Review:

Alright, alright, I admit it.  I ended up buying into the hype, hook, line and sinker.  It definitely could have been worse.  Yes, there’s a lot of strange, kinky sex, and it’s not the sort of book you want to be seen reading in the work staffroom (or by your Mother), and yes the storyline leaves something to be desired, but there’s something deliciously mindless and enjoyably indulgent about it all the same. 

Admittedly, this was not my favourite book of the series.  Having read them all one after the other, I’m not particularly sure what is.  My main issue with this one is similar to my main issue with Twilight, and that is that everything ends too perfectly, with everyone happy, except for perhaps Ethan and Mia, because what happened to them in the end was not made clear.  Ana got everything she wanted, including lots and lots of vanilla sex, she got to touch Christian when nobody else could, his exes are all safely out of the picture, and she runs a publishing house. 

Another thing with this installment is that there is a lot of melodramatic action throughout, with interludes filled with hot (if kinky) sex.  And lots of it.  Ana kind of grated on me, and for a girl who apparently has a GPA of 4.0 (I’m not American, but am led to believe this is perfect) she makes some pretty stupid decisions.  Also, Christian in this was a bit of an overprotective arse, except where it really mattered.  Basically in this, I didn’t enjoy any of the characters, unfortunately, and the storyline didn’t really make up for them.  And yet, somehow, I still couldn’t put the damn book down. 

There are also loads and loads of declarations of this overbearing love, and really, a lot of things in this book basically seemed a bit over the top.  Much like Breaking Dawn, though I know I really need to lay off the Twilight comparisons.

I liked the epilogue, that rounded things off, and I liked reading in Christian’s voice.  In many ways, I think he would have made a much more interesting narrative voice than Ana.  Ah well.

As a basic round up to the series, all the books are mindless, filled with sex, and leave a lot to be desired in the way of characterization and storyline.  And yet, there’s something about them.  I’m not sure if it’s gross fascination, or whether it’s something else entirely, but you just can’t put them down.  I can see why there’s a lot of hate for them, but I can also see the hype, too.  Basically, I think this is definitely one to read if you’re curious, but only if you’re old enough, and okay with some serious “kinky f***ery”, to use Ana’s phrase. 

Overall rating: 2.5/5

Writing: 3/5

Originality: 3/5

Characters: 2/5

My Enjoyment: 3/5

Feature and Follow Friday!

 

Q: Birthday Wishes -- Blow out the candles and imagine what character could pop out of your cake...who is it and what book are they from?

 

Definitely going to have to go for Ash from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa.  That, or Four from Divergent!  Or, if neither of those is available, Henry from Aimee Carter's Goddess Test series. 

Who would you guys choose this week?
 

Love or Loathe: Fifty Shades of Grey edition

As it’s been a bit of an impromptu Fifty Shades… week, and because the last Love or Loathe post went down so well, I thought this week I’d do a Fifty Shades edition. 

Basically, this series seems to be the latest, biggest book hype.  It’s outsold Harry Potter as the fastest moving paperback, and it seems like everyone either is reading it, or has already finished with it.  It’s also a series that everyone seems to have an opinion about, and it’s also been sat at the top of the Kindle charts for months. 

As I’ve said in my reviews, there’s not an awful lot of plot to be read here, and actually, there was very little I could honestly say I liked about the characters.  Normally if I read the first book in a series and that was the case, I wouldn’t even consider buying the rest of the series, much less reading them.  And yet, somehow, with this series, I needed to know what comes next, and blasted through the series in about a week.

Obviously, the Twilight-ish overtones are present throughout the books, and given I was someone who wasn’t overly bothered about Twilight, especially the ending to the series, it’s surprising again that I was able to stick with it. 

Lots of the less bookish people in my life absolutely love the series, and don’t have a bad word to say, yet most bloggers seem to agree that due to the technical faults, and the lack of originality, it isn’t that brilliant.

And then we get onto the sex.  There is a lot of eroticism (and plain out sex) in this series, and let’s face it, a lot of it is fairly kinky.  I know that bothers a lot of people, and in the UK the book as been dubbed as “Mommy Porn”.  Personally, I didn’t have any problems with the sexual content of the series, that kind of thing just doesn’t bother me.  But I know some people felt it was too much, and weren’t comfortable with it, and that’s another reason the series is so controversial. 

Actually, on a personal note, I enjoyed the series.  Not on technical merit, but it definitely wasn’t terrible. 

What did you guys think?  Have you read it?  Do you want to?  Or do you think this is something best left alone?  How do you feel about the sexual content, and do you think this will prompt more eroticism in books?  Let me know!

Book Review: Fifty Shades Darker by E L James

Title: Fifty Shades Darker

Author: E L James

Publisher/format: The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House, Kindle Edition

How I got this:  Purchased

Challenges: 2012 ebook challenge

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

Daunted by the singular sexual tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house.

But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades.

While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.

Review:

Again, this is definitely not a series for the younger audience.  And probably not one to read in public places.

The only way I can really write a review for this is to compare it to the first book.  In this one, more of an attempt was made at storyline (especially in the last few pages!) and I felt that it moved slower, and the pacing was better.  I also felt that I now understand Ana as a character better, and she was slightly less wet-lettuce-ish.  Slightly. 

The chemistry in this one is every bit as swoon-worthy as in the first book, though in this one, there’s a lot more emotional need behind it.  Okay, sounds like a good thing, right?  Not just plain f***ing.  Actually, I didn’t think so – I got fed up with the constant “Don’t leave me”, “You’re everything to me”, “I want you” etc etc etc. 

I liked Christian a lot more in this book, and I can see why Ana did too.  We see a lot more of the ‘real’ Christian in this, not just Dom Christian.  I liked how he slowly opened up to Ana, and started working through his own deep-seated issues for her sakes.  Admittedly, sometimes he’s off-the-wall overprotective, but even I have to admit, I can see why he’s the way he is, and it’s nice that he thinks that much of Ana, and realizes just how important she is to him. 

Whilst there are still a lot of issues (general lack of storyline, insertion of ridiculous words, sometimes unbelievable events/relationship etc) this one did feel like a progression from the first book, and I enjoyed it more.

The cliffhanger at the end of this book really does mean I’ll have to immediately go and pick up the third… or maybe it’s just because I want more of Fifty in my life…

Overall rating: 3/5

Writing:  3/5

Originality: 2/5

Characters: 3/5

My Enjoyment: 3/5

Top Ten Tuesdays - bookish versions of myself and my friends

Top Ten Tuesdays is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's theme is Top Ten Characters who remind me of myself or my friends.  It's a difficult one this week folks!

1.  Simon from The Mortal Instruments series…

Very much reminds me of The Bookish Ex.  He reads, he does a lot of nerdy things, but he’s always there for Clary when she needs it.

2.  Kate from the Goddess series….

Sort of reminds me of how I was once, when I felt like I was putting more effort into my relationship than the other party.

3.  Puck from the Scorpio Races…

Reminds me of a very dear friend of mine who loves her pony and family more than she loves much else.

4.  Hermione from Harry Potter…

Again, Hermione is someone else who reminds me of me.  I tend to have more male than female friends, and I love books (no, really?) and I always overachieved in secondary school.

5.  Meghan Chase from the Iron Fey series…

Because we’re both headstrong and independent.  And total suckers for cute, romantic guys.

6.  Lydia from Pride and Prejudice…

Yes, I have a friend who is like a sister to me, but also has a tendency to run off and do whatever she likes whenever she likes, without much thought for what her actions will do to other people.

7.  Michael Moscowitz from The Princess Diaries series…

We’ve all got one friend who has a nice, hot brother that everyone ended up having a crush on, and the friend in question thought it was gross.

8.  Kate Kavanagh from the Fifty Shades series…

Again, definitely a friend we’ve all had – the one that asks too many questions, and sometimes manages to get us in trouble with our boyfriends.

Hmmm, I’m actually stuck at this point.  Who did you guys go for? 

Book Review: Fifity Shades of Grey by E L James

Title: Fifty Shades of Grey

Author: E L James

Publisher/format: The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House, Kindle Edition

How I got this:  Purchased

Challenges: 2012 ebook challenge

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

Review:

First and foremost, this is not a book for younger audiences, and it’s also not for those who don’t like graphic sexual situations and/or BDSM. 

Normally, this really, really wouldn’t be my sort of thing.  However, even the non-bookish people in my life seem to have read this, and I’m going to be honest, I was curious as to what all the hype was about. 

Admittedly, having actually read this, there’s not an awful lot I can say about it that hasn’t already been said.  Basically, if you go into reading this expecting porn-for-women, not an awful lot in the way of storyline, and a load of Twilight parallels, then you’ll get exactly what you’re looking for.  If you want storyline, well-developed characters, and a book that doesn’t revolve around very kinky sex, yeah, this one’s best avoided.

The only character I felt was particularly well developed was Christian, though sometimes his behavior baffled me as much as it did Ana.  I wasn’t keen on Ana, she seemed to have all the personality and constitution of a wet lettuce at certain points, though when she was being ‘petulant’ she could have been interesting. 

As for plot – well, what plot?  There are, as I’ve said, a lot of unsurprising Twilight comparisons to be made.  I found myself mentally tallying who was who as I was reading.  For example, Ana=Bella, Jose=Jacob, Ray=Charlie etc etc etc.  However, I don’t actually think it would have been so screamingly obvious if I didn’t know this had started out life as a Twilight fanfiction.  For me, there were just a lot of fillers between very kinky sex scenes. 

The writing was, in some places, pretty uninteresting, though that’s probably because there are only so many ways to describe how earth-shatteringly beautiful Christian is, how turned on Ana is, and how messed up and kinky she finds their whole arrangement.  There are also, as pointed out by Rachel over at Parajunkee, a whole lot of words that wouldn’t be out of place in secondary school exams, and seem to be thrown in just to try and make the whole thing unsophisticated. 

As a very good friend of mine warned me before I started on this one, it’s basically pure, kinky filth, and if you go in with that mindset, you won’t be disappointed with this book.  Over all, I actually didn’t hate it the way I thought I would.  In fact, I’m intrigued, and I kind of need to see what happens next in this whole thing.  Please don’t judge me!

Overall rating: 3/5

Writing: 2.5/5

Originality: 3/5

Characters: 2.5/5

My Enjoyment: 4/5

Stacking the Shelves (7)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which we all show off what bookish delights we received this week! 

Purchased:

Yes, okay, I finally bought into the hype.  We all knew I'd eventually crack and end up buying this.  Admittedly, I've read it already - I think I'm going to finish the series and post all the reviews over the course of one week.  

I also ended up buying this one, purely because I know that if I stop reading them mid-series, I won't pick them back up, and also because something is compulsively making me want to finish this series.

Won:

 I also won an ebook copy of Whirl by Emma Raveling from Aeicha over at Word Spelunking in her Indie Author Giveaway.  This one sounds really good, and I'm pretty excited about it.

So it was a pretty busy week for me - what about you guys?

Feature and Follow Friday!

 

Q: If you could "unread" a book, which one would it be? Is it because you want to start over and experience it again for the first time? Or because it was THAT bad?

  I honestly don't think I'd ever want to unread a book, no matter how bad it was, purely for the fact that if I hadn't ever read any really bad books, how would I really know what makes an awesome book?  Besides, sometimes a bad book can be just as much fun as a good book!

I think I'd have to go for Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce.  Well, the whole Songs of the Lioness Quartet, if I'm honest.  They were the first fantasy books I read, and the first time I realized exactly how much I adore reading.  

So that's me - what would you guys go for? 

Love or Loathe: Ebooks & Ereaders

A lot of people don’t seem to like ebook readers, but there’s no getting away from the fact that they’re getting more and more popular.  Personally, I own a Kindle.  The reason for that is that I bought most of my books from Amazon anyway, I trust them as a company, it was reasonably priced and most titles are available in a format that is compatible with the Kindle. 

One of the reasons I bought an ebook reader was that I felt that in the long run, it would save me money.  Nine times out of them, ebooks are cheaper than physical copies.  Admittedly, it’s not always the case, but when it isn’t, I can always pick up said physical copy, no problem.  It was also the fact that I spend a lot of time on public transport, and it was a lot less weight in my handbag.  Similarly, I can store loads of books on it at once, and that’s definitely lighter.  It also makes it useful for work, where I have limited locker space, and I don’t want to carry two books in when I’m near the end of one (I’m terrible at reading two books at once, so I can’t start another until I’ve finished what I’m reading). 

It’s also useful for Netgalley, and receiving indie eARC’s, especially as a lot of indie books don’t initially release as physical copies. Plus, I don’t often reread books as I’d rather be reading something new, so it doesn’t bother me not to have the physical copy for that reason, and if I do want to reread, I can always find it in my library, and it saves me a lot of space especially since I’ve just moved back home.

Admittedly, there are some books I like to have physical copies of, for example, series books, Harry Potter and that kind of thing.  And the problem with ebooks is that I can’t lend them out easily, as the feature isn’t yet enabled in the UK.  So yeah, there are some drawbacks. 

That said, I think overall, my Kindle was an awesome investment, and it’s something I’m really glad I did.  I’m pretty much all in favour of ereaders and ebooks. 

So what do you guys think?  Love or loathe? 

Top Ten Tuesdays - Summer TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week’s theme is top ten books on my summer TBR list.  I don’t know about you guys, but I could actually write this list out of books I already own and haven’t read, and probably will be doing this due to a current lack of funds!  However, what I’m actually going to do is a mixture of books I own and haven’t read, and books I’m really anxious to get my hands on!

1.  The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

I’ve had this one sat on my Kindle and ready to go for literally months now.  I was so excited about it before it got released, and yet somehow I haven’t touched it.  I definitely think this will be pretty much the first book I read next though!

2.  Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

Again, I bought it for my Kindle, and that’s where it has stayed, no matter how many good reviews there are, and how much I wanted to read it when it first came out. 

3.  The Selection by Kiera Cass

I don’t own this one (yet!) and there are a lot of mixed reviews, but from what I can gather, as long as I don’t go in expecting gritty dystopian, this could be a pretty fun, light summer read for me.  Besides, how can I refuse a book with such a pretty cover?

4.  Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

Okay, this seems like a really weird pick – but hear me out!  There’s so much hype around this series, and I really think I should get to reading it before all that goes down – besides, my curiosity has been piqued – is this a good idea?

5.  Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Another one I’m so excited to get my hands on.  Thankfully it’s come out on Kindle and therefore is more in my price range now! 

6.  The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I promised myself that this year, I’d read more classics.  And yet, somehow I’ve only managed Pride and Prejudice thus far.  That said, it would also clear this one from the top of my TBR pile.

7.  Changeling by Phillipa Gregory

Another one I’ve been seeing everywhere lately – and I’m curious!  I’ve never read anything by the author before, and I have a feeling this would be a good place to start.

8.  Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Mermaids are everywhere this summer, and I don’t think I can let it pass by without me picking up at least one mermaid novel.  This is one of those books that’s been out of my price range, though hopefully when payday happens…

9.  Scarlet by A C Gaughan

Again, a book I was so excited about, but am yet to buy, much less read. 

10.  Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Another pick from the ‘already own’ pile.  Everyone who likes dystopian seems to have loved this series, and I’m yet to even start it – oops!

So what does everyone else want to read this summer? 

Book Review: Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Title: Temptation

Author: Karen Ann Hopkins

Publisher/format: eARC, Harlequin

How I got this:  Received a free copy for fair review via Netgalley – big thank you to both Netgalley and Harlequin. 

Challenges: 2012 YA reading challenge, 2012 ebook challenge.

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

Your heart misleads you.  That's what my friends and family say.  But I love Noah. And he loves me.  We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms. It should be  ROSE & NOAH forever, easy. But it won't be. Because he's Amish. And I'm not.

Review:

Normally this wouldn’t be the sort of book I’d immediately go for.  In fact, when I first heard about it, I figured it would be kind of “meh” in my opinion.  I could take it or leave it. However, the more I heard about it, the more intrigued I got.  How the heck could a relationship between a normal American girl and an Amish boy work?  And that’s what made me bite the bullet and request the book in the first place.  I’m glad I did, and whilst I had a few small problems with the book, generally I found myself enjoying it and wanting to know what was going to come next. 

Firstly, I’ll talk about what I enjoyed.  One was the descriptions of the Amish way of life.  I really enjoyed finding out about Noah’s world, as Amish culture isn’t a subject I’m particularly familiar with, or know a lot about.  It’s one of those things I had been aware of, but never really thought about at any length.  For me, it was really interesting, and sympathetically done. 

Another was the characters.  I felt by the end that I really knew Rose and her family, and I liked the different relationships that Rose had with her different family members.  Rose herself was also a fun character, and I found that I liked her independence (though as pointed out, she does cry a lot throughout the book) and the way that she both wants to please Noah and his family, but treads the line between that independence at the same time.  I also liked Sam as a character – especially the way he’s halfway between father-figure and annoying big brother.  Noah, as a character, I wasn’t sure of, I have to admit.  At times he was very caring, but at times he was overpowering, overprotective and downright controlling.  I’m guessing that could partly be explained as a culture difference, though for me that was never clarified, so I’m left unsure as to whether it was intentional.

The romance between Rose and Noah, however, was well written, and I liked the attention to detail in the romantic moments between the two.  However, this does bring me on to some of the stuff I enjoyed less.  At times, said romance felt somewhat rushed.  Like, they’d looked at each other a few times, and then suddenly there was an all-consuming need to be together.  Not that this ruined the story in any way for me, it just felt like more time could have been spent building things between them.  Likewise how quickly Rose is under his spell and visa versa.  Rose also seemed to jump between the aforementioned independence and doing whatever Noah asked of her, and unfortunately for me, it didn’t really keep in with her character. 

That said, this book for me was a really interesting snapshot of a culture very different to my own combined with a perfectly summery love story.  Given I wanted a lighter read when I picked this one up, it was absolutely perfect.  At the end of the eARC I received, there was a preview of the next book, and I’ll very much be looking forward to picking that one up.   

Big thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for providing me with this title for review.  

Overall rating: 4/5

Writing:  4/5

Originality:  5/5

Characters: 3/5

My Enjoyment: 4/5

Stacking the Shelves (6)

Received for review via Netgalley

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins – I’ve actually already read this one, and will be posting my review tomorrow! 

The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

So yes, once again I managed to listen to my own book buying ban – actually pretty proud of myself! 

What did you guys get this week? 

Feature Follow Friday!

Q: Happy Father's Day! Who is your favorite dad character in a book and why?

Original Image Location 

 Well, in all honesty, I think I'd have to go for Arthur Weasley from Harry Potter, because he's brilliant with his own kids, and effectively adopts Harry as an additional child as well.  

However, honourable mentions have to also go to Eddard Stark from the Game of Thrones series, Luke from the Mortal Instruments series (whilst he isn't technically the father, I thought he made a good father figure) and Mr Miller from Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins, because whilst he's kind of stern and scary mostly, he does try and do what he believes best for his children, and he does give Noah that pep talk as something he hopes would help. 

What about you guys?  Who did you pick this week?  

Book Review: Seducing the Vampire by Michele Hauf

Title: Seducing the Vampire

Author: Michele Hauf

Publisher/format: Kindle Edition

How I got this:  Purchased

Challenges: 2012 ebook challenge

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

In Marie Antoinette's Paris, the beautiful vampire Viviane seeks a male patron who will allow her to live on her own terms. Courted by two feuding brothers, Viviane succumbs to the handsome rebel, Rhys. She's unaware that Rhys has other, darker, motives. He seeks vengeance against his brother, Constantine;by stealing Viviane and tainting her with his blood. But just as Rhys is realizing the depth of his love for Viviane, his brother takes his revenge. By casting a spell on the woman they both desire, he condemns her to a living death inside a glass coffin. Two centuries later, Rhys hears the legend of the Snow White vampiress, imprisoned deep in the tunnels under Paris. He must find her and set her free, but will he be able to save her from the evil still intent on destroying them?

Review:

I should start this by saying that this is not a book for young teens – I’d recommend this only for a mature audience, as there are strong sexual themes and some violence throughout the book. 

Admittedly, this one pretty much followed the basic formula of paranormal romance – vampire + werewolf = romance!  And yet, it’s all set in Eighteenth century Paris. 

Now, given this is a Mills and Boone nocturne, you expect most of the book to be fairly explicit.  I’ve read previous titles and more of Michele Hauf’s previous work, and yeah, it pretty much fitted with that convention.  However, this one was much more romantic in nature than previous titles. 

Viviane, a newly patron-less (think a sponsor… a male vampire who gives the female blood to survive) vampiress, is a bloodborn vampire rather than a turned vampire, and therefore lusted over by other males.  Amongst said suitors is Constantine de Salignac, the head of the powerful vampire tribe, Nava, who wants to cement his position of power by producing blondborn offspring.  He wants Viviane due to the rarity that is the female bloodborn vampire.  Unfortunately, his half-brother and half-breed vampire/werewolf crossbreed, Rhys Hawkes, stands between him and his goal.

Rhys intends to extract vengeance from a longstanding grudge match with his brother, and the best way he can see of managing that is to steal the object of his brother’s affections.  Unfortunately, that goes wrong, when Rhys finds himself falling for Viviane in a way he never expected. 

Throughout the novel, the story is told between the perspectives of both Viviane and Rhys, and some of the story is set in Eighteenth century Paris, and some in the present day – all I’ll really say is think Vampires combined with Snow White and smut.

Overall, the story was fairly good, but there were a few things that bothered me.  One was the to-ing and fro-ing between Rhys and Viviane, with deciding whether he could viably be her patron, and should she go for Constantine instead, and no, she shouldn’t, yes she should… and yeah, so it goes on.  Secondly, the way that things were sorted out at the end.

However, overall, this book does deliver what it says on the tin, and this was a fairly enjoyable read, even if it isn’t particularly original, and does, to a degree, simply follow the ‘normal’ paranormal romance novel parameters.  I enjoyed the book – it isn’t one for the younger audience – but it was a perfect holiday easy read, and yeah, there are hot and steamy bits if you’re into that sort of thing!   

Overall rating: 3.5/5  

Writing: 4/5

Originality: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

My Enjoyment: 3.5/5

Top Ten Tuesdays: Beach Reads

Top Ten Tuesdays is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week’s theme is Top Ten Books I’d Recommend as Beach Reads.  For me, beach reads tend to be happy books, often contemporary’s, and usually fairly romantic. 

1.  Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins.

The reason for this is that it’s the perfect summer reads – it’s contemporary, it’s fairly light going, and it’ll put a smile on your face! 

2.  Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot

This one’s one I don’t here mentioned a lot, but if you’re into your historicals and/or YA, then this one is a book I’d recommend.  Again, it’s a nice romantic one, perfect for the beach!. 

3.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I know it’s kind of cheating to have two of Stephanie Perkins’ books on this list, but I can’t resist!

4.  Hollywood Sinners by Victoria Fox

I actually read this one on the beach last year – it’s typically scandalous chick-lit, but I completely lapped it up.  Not one I’d give to a younger reader though!

5.  The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares

This book really does just scream summertime to me!  That alone makes it perfect for the beach!

6.  Flawless by Tilly Bagshaw

Again, more trashy chick-lit – but it’s summery and perfect as far as I’m concerned!

7.  Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

This one’s a nice escapist book, which whisks you away to an older Japan.  Might not seem particularly beach-y, but for me it’s summery at least because of that escape!

8.  Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot

A more adult title by Meg Cabot, rather than being YA, but still romantic and heart warming

I’m actually stuck at this point!  Anyone got any good suggestions!

Book Review: Partials by Dan Wells

Title: Partials

Author: Dan Wells

Publisher/format: HarperCollins, Paperback

How I got this:  Won from Dani over at Pen to Paper

Challenges: 2012 YA reading challenge, 2012 DAC

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

The only hope for humanity isn’t human.

In a world where people have been all but wiped out by a virus created by part-human cyborgs called ‘Partials’, and where no baby survives longer than three days, a teenage girl makes it her mission to find a cure, and save her best friend’s unborn child.

But finding a cure means capturing a Partial…

Review:

This book is possibly one of the darkest dystopian novels I’ve ever read, and I think that’s exactly why I loved it.  In this, the human race have fought a war against the Partials, cyborgs who are basically built to be soldiers.  However, halfway through the war, the Partials released a virus, which not only wiped a huge proportion of the population, but also made it impossible for babies to survive for more than three days.

Kira Walker, one of the youngest remaining humans works as a medic, and upon finding that one of her oldest friends is pregnant, undertakes the huge task of finding a cure to the virus.  As a character, I really liked Kira.  She was strong, independent, and really fought for what she believed in, regardless of what others, even those she cared about deeply, thought.  I also liked the rest of the cast – though having finished the novel I’m not too sure what to make of Samm, or Haru. 

The setting for the book was described beautifully, and I liked the visuals of the world being reclaimed by nature, given that most of it has been unpopulated for the eleven years since the virus was unleashed.  There was also never a dull moment in this novel – there’s constant action, suspense, and always something bubbling away beneath the surface – I could barely put it down!

This was a captivating, suspenseful read, and I completely loved it.  It’s a little more scientific than some dystopians tend to be, and a little longer than some YA novels – but it definitely doesn’t drag, and I really hope it doesn’t put anyone off! 

I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good post-apocalyptic dystopian, and very much feel that other books could learn from how well this one deals with certain themes!

Overall rating: 5/5

Writing:  5/5

Originality: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

My Enjoyment: 5/5

Stacking the Shelves (5)

Well guys, it's been another quiet week in the book-acquisition department, though it does mean that I'm gradually getting through the pile of books I already own, and am therefore making it much more manageable! 

This week, I received one ebook for review:

 So I'd like to thank Frankie Rose very much for contacting me and asking me to read/review this one - I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm also excited to announce that Hey, Tara will be one of the stops on the blog tour for this book, which will be happening later in the Summer!  

So what did you guys get this week?

Book Review: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Title: Bumped

Author: Megan McCafferty

Publisher/format: Corgi Books, Paperback

How I got this:  Purchased secondhand

Challenges: 2012 YA challenge

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

Review:

When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued.  To me, it sounded like an interesting idea – what if teen pregnancies were encouraged, and actually essential to world-wide reproduction?  What if teen girls were being paid as surrogates for wealthy couples, who would battle it out to secure contracts with the most intelligent, healthy girls? 

And then I heard about the bad reviews.  People seemed to hate this book, and I can actually see why having read it myself.

Firstly, the start of the book was confusing.  I had no idea what was going on, and whilst I don’t want to be way neggy, it rilly, rilly wasn’t helped by the not-so-brilly slang language used by the characters.  Yes, it really (not rilly) does read like that.  What actually annoyed me more though was that this language wasn’t consistent throughout the book.  Sometimes, it actually read fairly normally, and was actually easy to follow! 

Secondly, the characters were ridiculous.  They kind of made me feel like I’d watched far too much Sixteen and Pregnant, then danced around at an under-18’s club where everyone was trying to cop off with each other.  Then there was Harmony – and I get it, she was meant to have been brought up in what sounded like an oppressive religious compound of sorts, but really, dressing head to toe?  Then going from that to stealing her sisters clothes and ‘bumping’ with an known stranger set up for her ‘prostitute’ (her words, not mine) of a sister?  It was one extreme to the next.  Actually, the kind of describes the whole book. 

Part of my problem was that I went through a lot of the book being disgusted with the characters, and the society, and the attitudes.  I get it, it’s meant to be a satyr of sorts, but it seemed to have found the line which one has to cross to become a satyr, then did a triple jump past it, followed by a 200m sprint.  Basically, it found the line, then crossed it.  By a long shot. 

I think I’m feeling disappointed by the fact that given the idea for this book, it could have been really thought-provoking and interesting.  I’m even trying to consider whether to shelf this as dystopian or not, given that it’s more of a fight against ideology and attitude rather than oppressive government. 

The only thing I liked about this book really was that it was short, and that the premise could have been interesting.  Due to said factors, I didn’t struggle to finish it, and that’s the only reason this is a 1.5* rather than a 1*. 

I really wouldn’t recommend this one, unless you like to see what all the fuss is about.  I also wouldn’t give it to younger teens – mainly due to the fact I really felt it glamorized teen pregnancy, and I wouldn’t want younger people getting those ideas.  There are also certain racial comments I raised my eyebrows at, and again, I’m not sure that I’d want to expose a younger audience to it. 

Overall, could have been a good idea, sadly, I don’t think this works.

Overall rating: 1.5/5

Writing: 2/5

Originality: 4/5

Characters: 1/5

My Enjoyment: 1/5