Review: The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Published: 22nd January 2013
Publisher: Hyperion
Genre: Young Adult: Fantasy, Paranormal
Source: Purchased 

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

  

Review

I absolutely loved the sneak peek (100 pages) I read late 2012. The book was unique, different and enjoyable. I couldn't wait to read the whole book. I pre-ordered this as I was so excited for it. 

This isn't a fast paced book. In fact I stalled a little in the middle and found myself not really in a hurry to pick it back up. Once I worked through it the second half was much better. 

This is a fascinating book. The world is intriguing, I mean - the dead are filed on shelves, like books! Come on! That's awesome!

I must say that the time of events moves around in this book a bit. You have frequent glimpses into the past with Da, Mac's Grandfather, and then back to the present time. It can throw you out of the story a little and may be off putting to some. The excerpt below is a "glimpse" of the past with Mac's Grandfather. 

My biggest problem was with Mac getting side tracked. At one point she had histories to return, but just didn't and in the beginning you learn you just can't do that. On top of that, there was no explanation of what happened to them. The longer they are out the harder they are to return. Histories are confused enough when they "wake" not knowing they are dead, and can then get violent when confronted to be returned. Why wait? There were even a few histories that were on her list and we never knew what happened to them because they weren't mentioned again, and Mac wasn't doing any returning. 

There are two romantic interests, but it's not a love triangle so don't let that put you off. It's not a driving force through the novel either. More subtle and a little cute. I liked Wes as a character and enjoyed their encounters.  

The twist was kind of predictable for me. I wasn't 100% sure, but I had enough distrust of the character to believe they were behind it. This made the last 25% a definite a page turner. 

While this held my attention in waves, it was still an enjoyable book. I think I would have preferred it to be a stand alone though so I'm not sure if I'm interested enough to pick up it's sequel, The Unbound, which is due for release on the 28th January. 

★★★★ 

Really Liked It

Excerpt

page 212

Review: Partials by Dan Wells

Title: Partials

Author: Dan Wells

Series: Partials Sequence, Book #1

Publication Date: 28th February 2012

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia

Source: Library

Description

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them--connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Dan Wells, acclaimed author of "I Am Not a Serial Killer," takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.- Goodreads

Review

Partials have taken over the earth. Originally developed to fight wars they now rule, but they have an expiration date. 

Humans haven't been able to keep babies born alive. Survivors are immune but newborns are not. 

I really liked this book, but it took me awhile to get into it. I found the beginning a little slow and Kira annoyed me. I didn't like her "why haven't you done this" attitude as if she is the only smart person alive. However, after the first, roughly, 25% Kira and some allies set out to find a cure for the RM virus, and this is where the story became more interesting, fast paced and action filled. It was during this latter half of the novel that Kira started to develop as a character, and in turn grow on me. 

Kira's boyfriend, Marcus, I'm still not sure about. One minute I'd like him, the next I didn't. He did have a few funny lines such as "well, thanks for not shooting anyone, I guess" said Marcus. "My contribution was to somehow refrain from peeing myself. You can thank me later." (p. 344). 

Samm is a partial and he is Kira's test subject. He was a favourite character, I absolutely loved him. 

I liked the world building in this. It was superb and feels believable. It adds to an interesting story. There is a surprise in the story (though I kind of guessed it) which adds a new angle. Despite the slow pace in the beginning, the last half definitely was better and made up for it. 

I can't wait to get into the second book, Fragments to see how this story progresses.

★★★★

Really Liked It

Author Bio

Source

Dan Wells is a thriller and science fiction writer. Born in Utah, he spent his early years reading and writing. He is he author of the Partials series (Partials, with the second book coming early 2013) and John Cleaver series (I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, and I Don't Want To Kill You). He has been nominated for both the Hugo and the Campbell Award, and has won two Parsec Awards for his podcast Writing Excuses. 

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Mini Review Monday #2

I have decided to start doing some mini reviews to allow me to tell you what I thought of a book, without the full review depth. The reason why I have decided to do this is because some books have been out of a while and there are plenty of reviews on Goodreads if anyone wants further details already, and the other is that some of the books I've read are actually novellas and I wouldn't be able to write full reviews on something that is generally under 100 or so pages. 
I'm not sure if this will be a weekly, fortnightly or monthly thing. More than likely it will be just when I need to so a short review. I do have a few to do, but I'll space them out of the next few weeks and then take it from there. =)

Title: Crossing The Line

Author: Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing The Limits, #1.5
Published: April 1, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Free for Kindle promo by Harlequin Teen Australia

Katie McGarry captivated readers with her “riveting, emotional”* Young Adult debut, Pushing the Limits. In this gripping novella, she tells the story of Lila and Lincoln, who discover that sometimes it’s worth crossing the line for love…

Lila McCormick, Echo's best friend from Pushing the Limits, first met Lincoln Turner when tragedy struck both their lives. But she never expected their surprise encounter would lead to two years of exchanging letters—or that she’d fall for the boy she’s only seen once. Their relationship is a secret, but Lila feels closer to Lincoln than anyone else. Until she finds out that he lied to her about the one thing she depended on him for the most.

Hurting Lila is the last thing Lincoln wanted. For two years, her letters have been the only thing getting him through the day. Admitting his feelings would cross a line he’s never dared breach before. But Lincoln will do whatever it takes to fix his mistakes, earn Lila’s forgiveness—and finally win a chance to be with the girl he loves.

My Thoughts

This was a lovely little (it's 67 pages!) novella about Lila. If you read Pushing The Limits, she was Echo's friend who in the end was the only one to stand by her. 

Lila's relationship with Lincoln is built up through letters, and as with Katie McGarry's stories, both have issues within their lives but have each other to depend on. 

You don't need to have read Pushing the Limits before this one. It's would read fine as a stand alone if you wanted. 

Even though it is a very short story, Katie McGarry managers to make fantastic characters and an emotional read. 

★★★★ Really Liked It

Blog Tour: Review: Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor, withExcerpt and Giveaway

Expected Publication: July 30th 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Blurb:

In this breathtaking debut that reads like Gossip Girl crossed with Twin Peaks, a Queen Bee at a blue-blooded New England prep school stumbles into a murder mystery.

Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne could care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school. 

When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Review

Prep School Confidential was a big surprise package for me. I wasn't expecting such a deep and twisted mystery, nor was I expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. 

I liked Anne, thought sometimes she seemed a touch too full of herself in the I'm-just-too-smart kind of way but it wasn't enough to put me off. Also her persistence to solve who killed Isabella had me wrapped up in the story so very little bothered me. 

All the characters felt so different from each other, and I didn't know who to suspect or point the finger at. There are a fair few characters in this story, but I didn't find it hard to keep track of as they all had some part in the story and mystery and their voices were different enough to remember them. 

I don't make it a hidden fact that I don't like love triangles as a writing device. Prep School Confidential did have a love triangle, and surprisingly (compared to those I have read) it is done really nicely, to the point I didn't know who I liked more. 

Anthony, Isabella's twin brother grew on me pretty quickly, though I feel he is still a little mysterious. 

Brent, Annie classmate, I wasn't sure of at first. I grew to like him as the story progressed. 

I loved the school description. I could picture this old school and all it's "secrets" (no more details than that - no spoilers) with no problems. 

Prep School Confidential had me guessing and questioning all the characters and their roles - did they do it, were they really like that - right until the end. And even that was a bit of a shock. Just when you think you figured it out, BAM, nope you didn't. 

This is definitely worth checking out if you like mysteries and whodunits. A fun read with some very memorable quotes (My favourite is below).  

★★★★ 

Really Liked It

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Excerpt

"Mr. Dowling." The officer stands up and extends a hand. "I'm Detective Holmes."

I can't help it - I giggle a little. I mean, really, a detective named Holmes? I wonder if Watson is nearby. 

Dad glares at me and accepts Holmes's handshake. "I'll be representing my daughter from this point. If you have no proof of her involvement with the fire, I'll be taking her home now."

I wince, but Detective Holmes looks confused. "With all due respect, Mr. Dowling, your daughter confessed to being on school grounds unattended after hours and gave us the name of the classmate who helped start the fire."

Dad looks at me as if I'm dumber than the bacteria on the bottom of his shoes. He's never, ever looked at me like that before. When the older cop shuffles back into the room, I'm thinking there's no way this could possibly get worse. (Loc 168 4%). 


One of my favourite quotes:

Author Bio

Kara has a BA in English/Secondary Education from Stony Brook University. She loves New Girl, sushi, and puppets that say rude things. It’s her dream to own a bakery someday. 

Kara was inspired to start writing in part by her grandmother giving her Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and in part by her father’s bizarre antics, such as blow-drying his car. Her father looked like Borat in the 80′s. 

Kara lives on Long Island with a Chihuahua named Izzy and a kitten named Felix. Her favorite authors are Gillian Flynn, Maureen Johnson, and Nelson Demille. She writes full-time, both on the PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL series and on an untitled television pilot for Warner Brothers Studios.

Author Links

www.karamtaylor.com 

twitter.com/@karataylor_

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Blog Tour: Review: Living Dead by Glenn Bullion with Giveaway

Tour Schedule

Title: Dead Living 

Author: Glenn Bullion

Publication date: January 7th 2013

Publisher: Permuted Press 

Genre: Horror/Zombies

Synopsis:

It didn’t take long for the world to die. And it didn’t take long, either, for the dead to rise.

Born on the day everything ended, a world filled with the walking dead is the only one that Aaron knows. Kept in seclusion, his family teaches  him the basics. How to read and write. How to survive.

Then Aaron makes a shocking discovery. The undead, who desire nothing but flesh, ignore him. It’s as if he’s invisible to them.

The survivors of the old suburb of Lexington call a high school their home. They live day to day, without any of the luxuries mankind used to enjoy. Samantha is a product of the new world. Alone, cold, looking out only for herself. She and the other residents of Lexington feel their hope dwindling. They need change. They need someone who can face the corpses. They need someone who can live in a city of the dead.

They need Aaron.

Review

I didn't know what to expect with this book. I have only read one other zombie book and loved it, and that was for a blog tour too. So I jumped at the chance to read and review another blog tour zombie book, and I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed. 

This started a little slow and predictable. The first chapter had a few hick ups (Sidney instead of Sydney, a few detail errors; ie, a zombie stuck in the truck who couldn't get out and was there for most of the chapter until the last paragraph where he somehow managed to get out) but nothing serious. There was a jump in time (14 years of it) which threw me a little because I thought the initial characters were going to be the story but they were more background details. After that the perspective changes and from there onwards it only grows in both story and pace.

I didn't grow attached to Samantha but I did like that she grew as a character within the story. Aaron was by far the best character. I loved his interaction and calm demeanor. They were the main lead characters though there were some other 'shady' characters that you weren't really meant to like anyway and the rest of the characters were more of a 'supporting cast'. This is a zombie book that is fairly focused on the romance more than the zombies. There isn't much detail to how the outbreak started but more of the life after it has happened and evolution.

There are some twists to keep the story interesting, and some blood and gore but not a whole lot. It's a quick read and would be a good place to start if you haven't read a zombie book before.

★★★ 1/2

Liked It

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Author Bio

I live in Maryland with my wonderful wife and four cats. I love gaming, computer technology, movies, and of course, reading and writing. I love science fiction and especially horror and the paranormal. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies, anything supernatural, all beautiful subjects. 

I’ve been writing since I was twelve years old. There’s just something about creating a story that I like. I always try come up with something that hasn’t been done, or is unique in some way. It could be someone with demonic powers, or something much more simple, such as a person that zombies ignore. It’s fun to create a character, give him or her a personality and background, and watch them evolve through a story.

I’ve tried other subjects, but always drift back to horror and paranormal. There’s a reason why we keep going back to horror movies and books, why they’ve made fifty Friday the 13th movies. People like to be scared, but more than that, I think paranormal and horror stir the imagination like nothing else. We’re all just a little nervous to open that closet door at midnight, or look under the bed.

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3 copies of Dead Living [winner's choice of Print (US/Can) or eBook (INTL)]

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eARC Review: Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

Title: Chantress

Author: Amy Butler Greenfield

Series: Chantress Trilogy, Book #1

Publication Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic

Source: eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss 

Description

Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful—and most hunted—girl in England.

“Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness.

When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.

Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion…

Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.

Review

This is difficult for me to review as I fell sick not long after I started reading it and was so sick I couldn't even read. This also made me fall behind in Uni, so I'm not sure if the added stress to do assessments and catch up took away some of my enjoyment, or I just didn't get swept away with the first half of the story. I felt the first half was slow moving, but that might just have been me and the time (due to commitments) it took me to read that half.
What I can say is that Chantress stuck with me a few days after reading it, and I certainly enjoyed the latter half of the book much more.

Lucy was a lovely, likeable character who grew both with the story and with her power. I enjoyed learning "magic" with her, and magic through music was wonderful.
I actually liked Nat, a secondary character, and more later, the best. I liked his stand-offishness, and like how he developed through the story and warmed more as the story went on.

The middle where Lucy learns her powers is a little dull. While it is good to see her grow into her powers, it is slow moving and goes on for a bit. It was from here (towards the end of this 'section') that the story picked up. Things started to happen, and it was fast moving as the events unfolded. It did end a bit to easily and conveniently, but I was enjoying the story by this point so it didn't detract from it.

One pet peeve, and I only bring this up because I seem to be reading it in all the books lately - "I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding". *Sigh* Is this a trend now or what?

Overall, this is a great start to the trilogy and the mixed pacing, in the end, didn't stop me from liking the story. 

★★★ 1/2

Liked It

Buy Link

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Author Bio

Amy Butler Greenfield was a grad student in history when she gave into temptation and became a writer. Since then, she has become an award-winning author. 

Born in Philadelphia, Amy grew up in the Adirondack Mountains and later studied history at Williams College, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Oxford. She now lives with her family in England, where she writes, bakes double-dark-chocolate cake, and plots mischief.

Author Links

 www.amybutlergreenfield.com | twitter.com/ab_greenfield

 

ARC Review: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Title: If You Find Me

Author: Emily Murdoch

Series: Nil

Publication Date: March 26th, 2013

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary

Source: eARC from St Martin's Press via Netgalley

Description

There are some things you can’t leave behind…A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

Review

This is hard for me to review. I was so engrossed in reading it that I didn't make any notes! 

Emily Murdoch's debut is an emotional story of child neglect, told from the view of Carey who with her sister were hiding in the woods for ten years with their mentally ill, drug using mother. 

I found the characters so real and touching, like reading a true story. I felt for Carey and Jenessa and could understand their bod and why they were concerned about going back into society. No matter how awful their life was in the woods, it was all they knew. It was home. I really felt for them and wanted them to be able to adapt and grow into their new life. 

Not too mention I adored Jenessa. ❤

There were a few elements that felt too convenient, such as Carey and Ryan's relationship, Delany's hatred of Carey switching in next to no time, and the ending. That said they weren't enough to detract from my enjoyment. 

The one thing that did frustrate me and take away some enjoyment were the flashbacks. Ok, not the actual flashbacks, just the execution of them. There was no indication of a flashback happening. One mintue Carey would be thinking about something the next second it was a flashback. I understand that the thought or what was being said was triggering the flashback, but because it blended together, I was more often then not going....

Source

Hopefully the published versions will have a new paragraph or different font for them or something.  

Overall, this was a fantastic and emotional debut novel from Emily Murdoch. If you like contemporary mystery type books then add this one to your list. 

★★★★ 
Really Liked It

Author Bio

Source

Emily is a writer, a poet, and a lover of books. There's never a time she's without a book. Her debut novel, If You Find Me, will be available from St. Martin's on March 26, 2013 and from Orion/Indigo UK on May 2, 2013.

When she's not reading or writing, you'll find her caring for her horses, dogs and family on a ranch in rural Arizona, where the desert's tranquil beauty and rich wildlife often enter into her poetry and writing. 

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