Review - House of Night Boxed Set

The House of Night is a thrilling, New York Times bestselling book series that follows 16-year-old Zoey Redbird as she is "Marked" by a vampyre tracker and begins to undergo the "Change" into an actual vampyre. She has to leave her family in Broken Arrow, OK, and move into the House of Night, a boarding school for other fledgling vampyres like her.

It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. Although Zoey has awesome new powers, it's hard to fit in when everyone knows you're "special." As Zoey tries to make new friends and maybe find a hot boyfriend (or two), she comes up against all kinds of evil, from the perfect-looking, super-popular girl with not-so-faultless plans, to the mysterious deaths happening at the House of Night and all over Tulsa. Things at the House of Night are not always what they seem. Can Zoey find the courage deep within herself to find the truth and embrace her destiny?



House of Night Boxed Set by P.C. Cast
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Why do I continue torturing myself? Yep, that is how I’m going to start this review. Now most people will probably have already read a lot of other reviews before mine. If you haven’t now is your chance. 



Waiting...waiting...waiting... 



Ah, I see you have returned. Or did you never leave...? Oh well. Continuing: I decided to review this because I was cleaning my room. Yes. I cleaned my room. It’s shocking isn’t it? I was going through my cupboard (or my mum was, she was looking for my sisters phone. She thought I took it. And just so you know I didn’t. That was a one time thing. And she got her phone back. So don’t be looking at me all funny-like). So back to the cupboard. Someone was going through my cupboard when I found a stack of these books (the 8 house of night books to be precise) and I wonder. 



Why are these not in my bookshelf? Then I remember they were shockingly awful. And you know what? I can’t even remember why. Yet, I read the whole series and all I can remember is a base plot line. 



I have no idea why I did. I mean I liked the first one, but the rest just went downhill. I remember I ended up skipping through most of the book and for the later books. Only reading the parts Zoey and Stark were in (hopefully together).



My advice. Don’t bother. I know people are saying all this stuff about the books. Top 3 things I gathered from reviews.

1. Zoey is a ho. We have a love pentagon going on here.

2. The book is wonderfully written, very teenager like.

3. The plot and story behind the story is just so fascinating.

I disagree with all of this. Except the first. So Sita’s Advice is DON’T BOTHER! You are wasting your time!




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Review - 13 Reasons Why

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. 

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. 

Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers. 
From the Publisher (Penguin)



Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The back story: I have no idea why I bought this, I remember buying it at a 6 books for $50 sale and I needed one more book to make 6, I saw this one and I remember that it had been on my to-reads list for a while, so I thought “I’ll get to it eventually.” So, several weeks later I can’t sleep it’s around 11, I decide to read and I need to read something that will probably make me fall asleep, yep you heard me I was looking for a boring book. This book was not a boring book. I was up until 4 reading this and when my mum came in to check that I was sleeping (yeah, my parents still do that. I am probably the only teenager with a 10 o’clock bedtime), I read it under the sheets, using the light of my I-phone; I just couldn’t put it down. This morning I woke up (after I had finished it) and reached for the book, I realised that I had finished it. The book was over. I was suddenly really sad, I also had to pee. But after my feelings disappeared (I went to the toilet), I realised…I didn’t really realise anything, I went and had breakfast, then I went to Netflix and a bit of Scrubs, then vampire diaries. And now I am here writing the review. So onto the real review:



What the book was about: This book was about Hannah, she recently committed suicide, but before she died she recorded a bunch of tapes, she sent them to the 13 people that caused her to kill herself. The way she sent it is like chain mail, you read it then you pass it on to the next person mentioned in the tapes. The next person to receive the tapes is Clay, Clay listens to the tapes and throughout the night he well you know does stuff, I’m not going to say any more in case I ruin the book, but the beginning, the end and the middle, wow. Just wow. You have to read it to get why I said that.



Your thoughts: I’ve had a full day to decide what I’m going to say about the book and I want to say so many things and my brain can’t organise them, so I’m going to give dot points. Yep I’m going to give you my thoughts on the book in dot points.



• So, dot point 1: When I finished the book I was speechless, literally.



• The writing was amazing, it was exactly what a teenager would say (in my opinion) and I liked the format and how it was told from Clay’s point of view, but the book was also told from Hannah’s. That may not make sense, but the author pulled it off.



• The characters, there is so much that I can say here. Clay, I spent a lot of the book in suspense like you. Trying to figure out why Hannah died. Hannah, I have no idea what to say and because unlike a lot of the reviews I’ve read, I am not someone who has ever considered suicide, so I don’t know if that is what someone in your position would feel or if the author was just over-exaugurating. But for me it seemed real, and the book had me tearing up at parts.



• The book was beautiful.



• The plot was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It was done amazingly and the concept, such a great idea and the author pulled it off.



Recommendations: I am super glad I read this and I recommend it to YA lovers and I know it sounds like something strange or just a general sob story. It’s not; it’s an amazing, beautiful story of a girl explaining why she killed herself. Personally, I would recommend this to everyone, because it grabs you off the first page and keeps you interested the whole way and isn’t that a good book?




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Review - The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove

A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake

Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school’s Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn’t share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie’s nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party—when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead.

From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should’ve messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.

Cruel Intentions meets Macbeth in this seductive, riveting tale of conscience and consequence.

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got this ages ago when I was at the coast with my Mum (and her friend) and my two younger sisters (and their two friends) My friend who was supposed to come had bailed on me (she was sick) so I was in for a week of spending time with 4 kids under the age of 11. It was a painful experience. We were in Big W and I was bored, as a normal person would be. We were looking for something and my mum kept finding stuff she liked. 

So I convinced my mum to buy a few books for me. This was one of them. I think I am giving it such a high rating because I was bored as hell when I read this and it was a few hours of taking my mind of the real world. I briefly remember what the book was about, but I can't refresh my memory by re-reading it, because my friend Tegan has my copy. 

What I do remember?

Popular bitchy girl (who used to live in a trailer park) wants to be prom/homecoming queen sorta thing (different name in the book), so she does a few bad things, one of them is killing one of her competitors, that was up for the crown. 

Her and her boyfriend hide all the evidence, but it kinda drives them crazy and she ends up jumping off a waterfall (also the place she lost her virginity). She has a flashback where one moment in her life flashes before her eyes and then it's over. We get the epilogue.

The book was actually pretty interesting. It had an interesting plot, characters and I actually enjoyed it more than I did the fallen series. But you know I was bored when I read it. So I may have made it sound a lot better than what it really is. I'll let you decide ;)

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Review- The Burnt Stick

When John Jagamarra was five, he was taken away from his mother and his home in an Australian aboriginal camp. John was half-white, and the law said he had to be educated in a mission school. But John never forgot his real home -- or his mother, who darkened his skin with a burnt stick. A poignant tale of painful separation, abiding love, and enduring memory. "An exceptional and very emotional novel that will stay with readers long after they have finished it."--Horn Book



The Burnt Stick by Anthony Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's actually been a while since I read this but I still remember the plot and what I thought of it. I was in year 5 when my teacher read this to the class, it was the day that Kevin Rudd said sorry to the stolen generation. That was a huge day and over the course of the following week we learned so many things about Aborigines and the stolen generation. One of the things we did was read this book.



This book is about a boy who is going to be taken away from his Aborigine family because his father was white. His mother comes up with a plan that when the people come to take him away, she will rub a burnt stick on his body when they come to check. 



The story does not end well, but it is very, very beautiful and it is hard not to like it. The writing, the characters and the plot all come together amazingly in this story. 



I recommend this to primary school children, not so much older people because it is a quick, short read and is probably better suited for younger people. I'm not saying that older people won't enjoy it, except younger people will probably enjoy it more.


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Review - Stay With Me

An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit

Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.

From award-winning writer Paul Griffin, Stay with Me is both heartbreaking and uplifting, filled with characters (both dog and human) that will forever change the way you look at the world.



Stay with Me by Paul Griffin
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I’m gonna start this review by apologizing, I am sorry I didn’t love this book like I wanted to and I’m sorry I couldn’t even finish it.







That's seriously how I felt, or maybe I still feel bad for faking sick to get out of going to this persons house. My mum comes home and says "their 16 year old daughter would have really loved to meet you, your practically the same age. You would have liked her. But no Sita you were sick" she said quoting the air to emphasise the sick. I mean who's mum does that to them? Okay enough of my guilt...onto the review.



I probably would not have read this if someone hadn’t recommended it to me ( I kind of feel like I have to read the book the person recommends because they took the time to recommend it), saying that they were reading it and it was a good book. I thought “what the heck?” And I read it, or at least I tried to. 



In theory this sounds exactly like the type of book that I would love. It is told from both the main characters point of views, it is a young adult romance and both the characters sound believable and realistic. When you actually read the book, you find that is not so much the case.



Book in a sentence: Mack meets Cece, she is a good student with a little bit a lot of emotional baggage, he is a kind hearted boy who dropped out of school and loves taking care of dogs, they work together and (very) soon start seeing each other, about two weeks into the relationship they realize that they are in love, then it happens...I seriously don’t know what it is because I wasn’t able to finish the book. Someone feel free to tell me. I’m actually curious as to know how it ends.



I really can’t say whether I liked the book. I guess I liked the idea of the book and the idea of the characters a lot more than I did the real thing. One thing I did love about the book was the writing. It was the sort of no bull shit writing that I love. It was short sentences that were straight to the point, neither of the characters wasted any time.



Am I glad I read it? I can’t say that I am. The book really wasn’t that great in the end, and I guess I had high expectations, because after finishing the book I was really disappointed. I had just expected more.



Because I didn’t finish the book I can’t say I would recommend it to anyone, but if I had to I would say YA romance lovers who are looking for something different.




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Review - Providence

In the old world shadows of Providence, Rhode Island, Nina Grey finds herself the center of a war between Hell and Earth. 

Struggling with her father’s recent death, Nina meets Jared Ryel by chance…or so she believes. Although his stunning good looks and mysterious talents are a welcome distraction, it soon becomes clear that Jared knows more about Nina than even her friends at Brown University. When questions outnumber answers, Jared risks everything to keep the woman he was born to save—by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect. 

When her father’s former associates begin following her in the dark, Nina learns that her father is not the man she thought he was, but a thief who stole from demons. Searching for the truth behind her father’s death, Nina stumbles upon something she never expected—something Hell wants—and only she holds the key.



Providence by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really don’t know how to describe this book. I picked this up because I loved Beautiful Disaster and I mean LOVED! I read it so many times it was a little ridiculous. Near obsession. Back to this book… I actually had to go on a huge search for this one; I could not find it anywhere. Not in the shops, not in the library, not online. I ended up buying it on I-tunes, to read on my I-phone. Let me tell you now, such a pain! My hands hurt by the end of finishing each chapter and the screen kept moving, from landscape to portrait and it’s taken me forever to actually finish the book. But boy am I glad I read it!  Don’t let my whinging about where I read it actually put you off the book itself, which is easily going to become on of my favourites.


Providence is about... a lovely couple; it is about Nina Grey and Jared Ryel. This lovely couple faces many terrible things, one of them being a mafia-like-crime-gang-dirty-police sort of thing,


That's the evil police for you ;)


If that is not bad enough they also happen to face of a bunch of angry angels. And the everyday problems that come with being a Guardian Angel (yep that’s you Jared) and their siblings (that’s you Claire). Oh yes they also face their undying attraction.





Which strangely and much to my disappointment neither ends up submitting to until the last half of the book.


What did I think of the plot?


And just to prove that I can bring Glee into anything...




Holy Moly! I loved it! I loved the new take on angels; I loved the fact that they were battling a few things. I loved the fact that was a tad bit of an idiot (that award goes to you Nina), whom I wanted to slap most of the time. But that has nothing to do with the plot. So back to the plot, I generally loved. Not much else to say, I think now is the right time to shove in one of my favourite quotes “Because you’re worth it.” He looked at me as if I should know that already, and I couldn’t help but smile. “I think that’s already been trademarked by L’Oreal,” I said. It’s just so sweet, by the way, that’s not from Jared it’s from Ryan *sigh*.


Onto the characters. I am strange, but hopefully you already knew that. That was a random change in topic. Back to the book. Now that we have already discussed my strangeness, let’s discuss Ryan. I loved Ryan, sure I liked Jared, he was pretty cool, and I mean he’s a guardian angel for goodness sake. I’m still trying to decide if I want one of them, but if it was like Ryan, actually if I had one like Claire, hell yes. I loved Ryan because he was totally sweet, he was charming and was destined (they were going to get married) for Nina, but Jared got in the way and un-destined that. If you read the book you will see why I fell in love with Ryan and not Jared.


I just want to warn you, I’m not a crazy or anything, but Claire. Will you marry me?





Claire has got to be the kick-ass side character in the history of kick-ass characters. She was rude, obnoxious, she was hilarious (I loved when she was talking), and the way she accepted everything that happened to her. And she could kick some ass! So I ask again, even though I kind of like guys I am willing to make an exception for you Claire. Because as Ryan said to Nina “Because you’re worth it.”


The writing, sure there were a few typo’s, or maybe that was just my copy. Can we really trust I-tunes? But they were far and few and the super amazing story kinda makes up for them.





Overall, it was a fun, wonderful, enjoyable read. That I loved. I liked the fact that it was a whole different take on the angel thing, it was refreshing and I really didn’t expect that when picking up the book. I recommend this to lovers of the YA genre, romance and paranormal romance. This is actually a bit of a side note, but I was actually avoiding PR as of late, because I just couldn’t finish any books with it as a main theme. This book was different, good different. I really loved it, and I can’t say that enough. Here’s to another quote. This one cracked me up. “So…if I’m cramping…” Jared closed his eyes and nodded. He clearly didn’t want to dwell on the subject. I giggled in disbelief. “That hurts you?” He could feel what she was feeling, just really toned down.



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Review - Born Of Ice

In the Ichidian Universe, the League and its ruthless assassins continue to keep rule. But at what cost? Welcome back to the future…and a whole new world.

Devyn Kell spent his life in service to the League until he learned of the double dealing and backstabbing that was costing innocent people their lives. Refusing to play those politics, he became a Runner—someone who makes sure planets get the weapons, medicine and supplies they need to survive. May the gods have mercy on any who get in his way, because he definitely won’t.

Alix Garran is a woman on the run from a past she can’t escape. Signing on to work for Devyn as a System’s Engineer, she finds a cause she can fight for—and a man she can respect. But as Alix’s past catches up to her, and Devyn’s old enemies turn lethal, they have to fight together…or fall alone.

Born of Ice by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved and I mean loved the first two books in the League series. Born of Ice was no exception. I really enjoyed this one and boy did I fly through it. It is tiny compared to the other books. So small that I flew through it in one afternoon.

This story centres around Alix and Devyn. I liked them both, but I'm sorry as a couple I liked Syn and Shahara so much more.They were just way more likeable and sweet together. But enough of them. Let's get back to you. Alix is a Slave (her mother was a slave that her father owned. To save her mother and sister she has to turn in Devyn) and Devyn is the lovely offspring of Syn and Shahara (he's not a physco-path). Cutting a short story short, they fall in love and everyone and I mean everyone including the supposedly bad guy gets their happily ever after. Not that that's a problem. I think it's sweet.

I liked the plot, it was way shorter than the other two. But the plot was nice, it was short and sweet and had just enough twists and turns to keep me interested. And the characters supported the story well, I believed it. The writing. It's Sherrilyn Kenyon, enough said.

Overall, if you have read the first two in the League series I recommend reading this one. It is nice and we get to see all the characters that were introduced in the first two again. We also see a whole heap of new characters, and for that alone I would have read the book. Also the new and improved and blue Vik was in it. Vik was and always will be my favourite character out of the league series. He's just...awesome.

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Review - A Bear Called Paddington

Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington, a most endearing bear from Darkest Peruon a railway platform in London. A sign hanging around his neck said, "Please look after this bear. Thank you" So that is just what they did.

From the very first night when he attempted his first bath and ended up nearly flooding the house, Paddington was seldom far from imminent disaster. Jonathan and Judy were delighted with this havoc and even Mr. and Mrs. Brown had to admit that life seemed to be more filled with adventure when there was a bear in the house.

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. And I mean WOW.



This is a children’s book, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone now, but it is a good book I can’t say I would recommend it to anyone now, but for children it is a fun, exciting read. I was in love with Paddington; I wished my parents would find a bear like that at the train station.

        Mr Brown coughed loudly. “It doesn’t seem a very exciting story,” he said, impatiently.
              He reached across and poked Paddington with his pipe. “Well I never,” he said, “I do believe he’s fallen asleep!”

That is one of the many reasons why I loved this book (as much as 8 year old me could love something).

Review - Telling Secrets (At The Party #1)

Brooke just wants to forget. About the weird stuff that’s going on with her family. About the fact that her best friend moved away right before their senior year. About the fact that lately, she hasn’t been able to feel much of anything.

And that’s what Aiden helps her to do -- forget. So what if he’s kind of… unavailable? Everyone needs a bad boy, right?

Ry just wants to be with Brooke. He had a chance a long time ago, and he’s been pining for her ever since. And when he sees her with Aiden, he decides that some things have been kept secret long enough…

Told from both Brooke and Ry’s point of view, AT THE PARTY is a romantic novella from Lauren Barnholdt, author of TWO-WAY STRET and ONE NIGHT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING.


Telling Secrets by Lauren Barnholdt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


                                                                               3.5






Because it’s a novella, I am not going to bore you with a long review. So here is a quick one. This is the book-o-metre.




Characters: 5/10









Not all the characters annoyed me. Just Brooke (one of the main people). Cause I liked Ry just fine. There was something about Brooke that just pissed me off; maybe it was the way she treated her friends or how she acted with Aiden (total douche by the way)... But don’t let that put you off. Ry (the other main character) is super awesome and sweet.




Writing: 6/10


No comment.




Plot: 6/10




Pretty average, boy loses girl he really liked when he was young, tries to get her back because girl has moved on and is hooking up with another guy, but subconsciously she hasn’t moved on...




Enjoy-ability: 8/10




Light, fluff, not super moving and you’ll probably forget the book in a couple days but at the time, it is generally enjoyable.




Overall interestingness: 7/10




It will keep you reading, it wasn’t boring.




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Review - Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A list... Because I am in a listy mood.




1) Plot in a sentence: Megan’s parents get a job overseas, she refuses to go, they let her stay with the McGowan’s, the McGowan’s are a family of 9, no girls (except the mom) all boys, Megan makes friends (and more than friends) and has an interesting experience altogether. Boy, that was a long sentence.









2) What I thought of the plot: 8/10. I thought it was an interesting idea, and in the end, I do think the author pulled it off.









3) Writing: 4/10. Okay, readable, thank god it was only told from one point of view (unlike some of her other books). But it wasn’t that great, I could read it and understand it and it felt teenagery enough, but I guess I just didn’t like it. But that’s my opinion.




4) The characters: 7/10. I could go on forever here, but I won’t. I liked how all the boys had different personality’s, and sure, the parents were a little stereotyped. But that was okay; it would have been a little odd, if the parents weren’t. I however did not like the main character. I found her whiny, annoying and I just couldn’t connect with her. I just didn’t like her. In saying that again, I repeat all the boys were great and that’s why I gave it a 7/10. Because if it was just Megan, I would give her a 3/10.




5) Enjoy-ability: 7/10. Light, fluff, not great but okay. If your looking for something that fits that description. This is it!









Yep, no Michael Jackson though.




6) Overall interestingness: 8/10. It kept me reading, there were enough twists and turns to keep me interested. I read it all in one sitting.




I don’t know if I would recommend it to anyone so depending on how you took that I shall let you make a decision.






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Review - Getting Close (At the Party, #3)

Gabriella is afraid. Afraid of what it means to be in love with Landon, afraid of what it means to let herself fall for another person so completely. 

Landon knows Gabriella's scared, and he's not about to give up on her. But will he be able to convince her that they're meant to be?

The third novella in the romantic At the Party series by Lauren Barnholdt...



Getting Close by Lauren Barnholdt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


3.9/5




Because it’s a novella...Here is the book-o-meter:




Characters: 8/10




What can I say? I liked these characters a lot more than I liked Brooke and Ry. They were a lot funnier and for them it wasn't lust at first, they had actually dated and were dealing with their very recent break up. And what can I say? I liked that.




Writing: 8/10




Like most of Lauren Barnholdt’s other writing.




Plot: 6/10




It’s so short that of course there isn’t enough time for a plot but there is one there and the plot that is there is short and sweet. Also, I like the fact that the novellas are all set over the same night. And some of the novellas overlap, like we got to see what was happening to other people from the outside. But the plot in a sentence: Boyfriend and Girlfriend just broke up, trying to get over each other, realise that they're not, decide to get back together.




Enjoy-ability: 8/10




No comment.




Overall interestingness: 8/10




Best plot/back story, it was pretty interesting.









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Review - Animal Farm

Animal Farm is the most famous by far of all twentieth-century political allegories. Its account of a group of barnyard animals who revolt against their vicious human master, only to submit to a tyranny erected by their own kind, can fairly be said to have become a universal drama. Orwell is one of the very few modern satirists comparable to Jonathan Swift in power, artistry, and moral authority; in animal farm his spare prose and the logic of his dark comedy brilliantly highlight his stark message.

Taking as his starting point the betrayed promise of the Russian Revolution, Orwell lays out a vision that, in its bitter wisdom, gives us the clearest understanding we possess of the possible consequences of our social and political acts.

Animal Farm by George Orwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Animal Farm is one of those classic books that I’m always hearing people talk about. People are always telling me it’s one of those books you just have to read before you die (even though I don't plan on dying anytime soon, I thought I would get the book out of the way). So, when I found the book in my dads collection I thought “why not? Let’s see what all the fuss is about.” 



I can now see what all the fuss was about. This book was amazing and I am really glad that I finally took the time to read the book.



I think I put off reading it before because of my limited to non-existent knowledge of modern history, mainly Russian/European politics. I thought that I would not be able to understand and appreciate the message of the story. In the end I really don’t think my lack of knowledge mattered, because when you read it like a story and not someone analyzing the hidden meaning of it, it still gives a strong message about society, humanity and what power can do to people.



I can now see why people consider this to be such an important book. People interested in history and that time era, will definitely enjoy this and will probably understand all the hidden meanings. And those like me, who don’t read this sort of novel very often will have no problem reading this. It is not complicated and the writing is easy to understand. What makes the book amazing is the story itself. 



I think everyone must read this at least once before they die, be like me and get it out of the way ;)




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Review - Act Of Faith

England,1640. Sixteen-year-old Isabella is forced to flee her home when her father’s radical ideas lead him into a suicidal stand against Oliver Cromwell’s army.Taking refuge in Amsterdam and desperate to find a means to survive, Isabella finds work with an elderly printer, Master de Aquila,and his enigmatic young assistant, Willem. 

When Master de Aquila travels to Venice to find a publisher brave enough to print his daring new book, Isabella accompanies him and discovers a world of possibility -where women work alongside men as equal partners, and where books and beliefs are treasured. 

But in a continent torn apart by religious intolerance, constant danger lurks for those who don’t watch their words. And when the agents of the Spanish Inquisition kidnap de Aquila to stop him printing his book, Isabella and Willem become reluctant allies in a daring chase across Europe to rescue him from certain death. 




Act of Faith by Kelly Gardiner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


3.5




I don’t actually read Historical fiction that often and even though I like the genre I just don’t like many of the books that come out of it. I’m still trying to figure out if I liked this book or not. I read the book in one sitting, but by the end I didn’t feel that satisfied. Everything happened so fast, the problem was fixed and forgotten so quickly.









I think that describes how I felt after completing the book... Not the pants thing though...




Because everything happened so quickly I felt that I didn’t have time to get to know the characters, the story was mainly based around the plot, not that that’s a bad thing, but I felt that the main character Isabella was missing something. Sure, she was a pretty cool heroine, she was stronger and smarter than a lot of girls back then but she just didn’t seem real to me. She was not jumping out at me.









Okay, I have to admit. I really didn’t like Willem. I found what he thought of women annoying and he was a general ass.









Plus the fact that his ass-ness really didn’t change was kind of a let down for me. But Isabella made up for his ass-ness with the fact that she was able to always come up with a good comeback.




I loved Master de Aquila as a character. He was just so passionate about books and freedom of speech! I liked learning about how dangerous just some of the thoughts thought in that time period could be.









What I really didn’t like was the fact that the blurb gave the plot away it also made you think that there would be a bit of a romance between Isabella and Willem. No romance whatsoever, which was the main reason I actually picked up the book.









Or non-existant...




This book is for people that love history and people that are looking for something new to read.




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Review - Sometimes It Happens

On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Sebastian dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction—and one night, into a passionate kiss. The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Sebastian, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think...



Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sometimes it happens is about... Hannah, a girl whose best friend is going away for the summer and is leaving her alone.

Her best friend, Ava, decides someone needs to check up on her, so she sends her boyfriend. Hannah and Noah (the boyfriend) are friends at first and then something more. I’m not really spoiling anything because we learn all this in the first couple of pages. 



Weird right? I think not! The author writes the book in a way so that the book is being told in the past and the present. The past (during summer), the present (the first day back at school). The book starts at the present and alternates throughout the book, so it’s like your getting two story’s but your not. I don’t know if I liked the way the book was set out, but I guess it worked, because the plot was pretty predictable, this way you can tell the story and keep the reader hooked because they want to know why and how it happened, not what happened in the end. 



Overall... the book is a fun read, can’t say it’s as good as all of her other reads, but it’s okay. I enjoyed it, and if you like any of Lauren Barnholdt’s other books, you will probably enjoy this.

Review - Eighth Grade Bites

Junior high really sucks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: his mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he faces a much bigger problem: he’s being hunted by a vampire killer.



Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This has got to be the best out of the whole series, I remember buying and reading these at the start of year 8, I loved them then, sped through all the books and bought and read the last one the day it came out. I recently read them and I was a little disappointed. I thought they were amazing in my mind, not so much in real life.







But in saying that, I still found them slightly entertaining, and after re-reading them all. I again concluded that the first one was the best. This is why:

      1)8th Grade, I was in 8th Grade at the time, I felt I could really connect to Vlad.



      2)Vlad was a cool person, he was funny, he was awkward, and he had a crush. He was a awesome      vampire that I believed was real. It was someone I could imagine going to school with.



      3)The plot was not stretched out, it was short and sweet. It was a good plot.



      4)The Cover, only reason I picked up the book in the first place.



      5)He wasn’t up himself. Unlike a lot of vampires I've read about.



      6)It was generally a good book.



      7)Henry and Vlad were not pms-ing all the time.



Yeah, that’s all I can think of at the moment, but I’m sure the list goes on. Oh yeah, they were young and innocent, LOL. 



Overall, this is an interesting twist on the whole vampire thing and is worth looking at. Even if you only read the first in the series.







Yep, it kept me awake...


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