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Freeks

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By: Amanda Hocking
A travelling carnival is a strange place to grow up in but it is the only home Mars Besnick knows. The carnival though is a place of mysteries and secrets, filled with people with hidden, or not so hidden powers. Mara doesn’t think she has any powers but she gets along. In this last stop though she meets a boy, Gabe Alvarado and chemistry happens. He’s not the first boy she’s been drawn to but he is the first to reach her so deeply. The more time they spend together the more Mara realises she isn’t the only one with secrets and Gabie’s family legacy could destroy her world. As carnival folk go missing, get attacked or even wind up dead Mara is determined to figure out exactly what is going on.
Set in 1982 this world is close to the one we live in, making characters and settings familiar. The mystery of the carnival draws us in, the many characters add wonderful colour to a tale that could be much bleaker without them. Mara is likeable and her hesitation about getting involved with Gabe is believable. Her determination draws you along as the darkness expands and the story unfolds. I thoroughly enjoyed the blend of mystery and supernatural.
Recommended if you like those genres.

Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Published: 31st January 2017
Key Words: Supernatural, Mystery
ISBN: 9781509807659

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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The Fault In Our Stars – Movie Trailer

Holy crap even this damn trailer made me cry. I am soooooooo looking forward to this film.

Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort look like they’ve done an amazing job with a couple of the most amazing characters I’ve ever read.

Category:

Book to Film, Young Adult Fiction

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Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover

don-t-judge-a-girl-by-her-coverBy: Ally Carter

Gallagher Girls Bk 3

Cammie Morgan’s holiday has just gotten fun, or so she thinks when she gets to join her friend Macey McHenry on her dad’s campaign trail. Fun takes on another meaning when she has to draw on all her skills to prevent her friend from being kidnapped off the roof of a building. Of course Cammie and Macey attend Gallagher Academy where they have learnt rather more interesting skills than those taught in an average high school.

This is just the start of the toughest period of Cammie’s young life because even though Secret Services have become more involved in Macey’s personal security, even when back at school, Cammie, Bex and Liz really can’t leave their friend out there essentially alone. The girls are determined to help keep her safe even if it means going against Cammie’s mother’s instructions. The more they uncover though the more surprising the truth appears to be.

This is a great addition to the series. This has a greater focus on friendship and it is wonderful to read the different character arcs particularly in this case, Macey’s. It is cool to delve into the different spy skills and how they can be utilised. These girls consider themselves family and this is how they treat the situation. When they try to do the right thing and get ignored they don’t give up, they do what they are trained to do. Smart, sassy, determined and more than a little stubborn these girls are not only entertaining they give examples of how girls are just as capable of achieving anything. They are also not invincible or infallible. Cammie’s weakness is her uncertainty of dealing with Zach, and this can unsteady her at the most inopportune tines, but when it comes down to it she will do what ever she has to to keep her friend safe.

Highly Recommended.

Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children

Published: 18 May 2010

Format: Paperback 263 pages

Categories: Family, Friends, Spy Stories

ISBN 13: 9781423116608

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on side of the page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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Cross My Heart Hope to Spy

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By: Ally Carter

Gallagher Girls Bk 2

The Josh disaster of last semester has left Cammie just wanting to have a quiet semester, after all using her spy skills to get her first boyfriend then being forced to give him up was quite enough. She even promises her mother to stay out of trouble. That is way easier said than done when your name is Cammie Morgan and you are the child of spies, attending the premier spy school. Cammie and her friends discover that there is something going on codenamed Blackthorn and they are determined to uncover it. Things aren’t that simple in the spy world and Cammie gets blamed for the biggest breach of school security any of them have ever seen. It’s up to Cammie and her friends to clear her name but that means breaking her word to her mother. Can her life get any more complicated, sure if you throw in another boy who notices the girl who is best at going unnoticed.

Cammie is still very much out of her depth when it comes to the opposite sex and she isn’t really over Josh so she throws herself into school work. Josh doesn’t really remember all of what happened between him and Cammie and that makes things very awkward. Fortunately for Cammie, she has friends and a very useful resource in Macey McHenry, who acts as the boy-translator for the girls. The friends work well together, combining their different strengths in each little task in front of them, whether it is breaking and entering or setting up a hidden command post.

The addition of Zach is great because not only can he match Cammie in specialised skills, like Cammie you just don’t know where you really stand with him. The relationship thing gives these characters a reality that if it wasn’t there would leave these characters a bit two dimensional. As it is it is awkward and amusing but the the really fun stuff to read is the spy stuff. The competition aspect of this book gives it an extra level of tension and tension is what helps make a story interesting. A good follow-up to book one.

Recommended.

Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children

Published: 23 December 2008

Format: Paperback 256 pages

Categories: School Stories, Spy Stories, Romance

ISBN 13: 9781423100065

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on side of page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You

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By: Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan attends the exclusive Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a school that is not exactly what it appears to be. To the outside it looks like a snobby school for rich brats but behind the walls are classes on chemical warfare, covert operations, code cracking and advanced martial arts. Gallagher Academy is a school for spies. Cammie was destined for Gallagher, both her parents were spies and her mother is now the Academy’s headmistress. Cammie is fluent in 14 languages, can kill a man and is an expert at hiding in plain sight, what Cammie simply is not equipped for is the simple scenario of boy meets girl. This whole situation is made worse by the fact that Jpsh will never know who she really is, and how can a relationship survive that?

A boy meets girl tale with a twist. Cammie isn’t the prettiest or the smartest girl, she has made an art of being the one who goes unnoticed, until Josh does just that. Josh breaks through walls Cammie never realised she had. He is charming, and unskilled at subterfuge. Cammie is totally out of her depth when it comes to this relationship and the fact she has so few boy/girl skills gives this story a fresh twist. It was a fresh, fun read and a great start to this series. Gallagher Academy is the sort of place I would have loved to go, if it was an option, Carter has given it the reality of high school (though not quite the division of groups you see in a normal school) and the layers of a spy school, including cool gadgets. Mostly though it is a look at people skills and the pitfalls of growing up.

Recommended.

Publisher: Disney Publishing Worldwide

Published: 01 April 2007

Format: Paperback 284 pages

Categories: School Stories, Romance, Adventure, Spy Stoies

ISBN 13: 9781423100041

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on side of the page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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Mystic

I received my copy from the publisher.

mystic

By: Alyson Noel

The Soul Seekers series bk 3

Daire Santos tried to kill Cade Richter but things didn’t go according to plan and she finds herself separated from everyone she loves, she is in the Upperworld seemingly trapped. She comes up with a plan because there is no way she is going to be kept away from Dace and the others she cares about. When she finally gets back she discovers she isn’t the only one who is missing. No-one knows where Dace is and yet Cade seems to be doing just fine. As soon as she is able Daire sets out to rescue Dace and then they will see what can be done about the Richter’s, though with Cade and Dace being so connected no-one is sure what that will be.

Daire and Dace drive this story along, their love, their torment, their individual destinies, but the supporting cast are what flesh this tale out. The older characters providing wisdom and mentorship (both good and evil) and peers such as Xotichl and Lita providing support and grounding. The introduction of a third party set on the destruction of the Richters provides another level as in this case the often used plot device ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend’, simply doesn’t work here, with the destruction of one boy equalling the destruction of both.

The time Daire and Dace spent separated has changed them, it has altered their abilities and as the story progresses they start to understand to what extent these changes are. I find the integration of the spirit animals and spirit world interesting, it gives what could just be another story of good verses evil a different spin. I still look forward to finding out how Noel is going to continue this and wrap it all up.

Publisher: MacMillan Children’s Books

Published: 04 July 2013

Format: Paperback 352 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

ISBN 13: 9781447206835

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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Eternity

I received my copy from the publisher

eternity

By: Elizabeth Miles

The Furies bk 3

Emily Winters has had enough of living in her own personal nightmare. So many have suffered at the hands of the Furies who are still hanging around, and she believes they are slowly driving her crazy. It is time, Emily has decided to take matters into her own hands, she is not going to give up her fate, her life without a fight. She feels so alone though, she doesn’t know who to turn to, JD is out of the question and Crow seems to be growing more unstable. Then JD begins to uncover the truth, he misses the old Emily and he wants her back, he is determined to help her, even if his help is the very thing she doesn’t need.

Can JD see enough of what is going on to help? Can Crow figure out what is going on in his head? Can Emily unravel enough of the Furies secrets to put them and their curse behind her once and for all? The Furies love to play games and they are particularly enjoying this one it seems, and one has an ulterior motive, she really doesn’t want Emily to win.

A great ending to a darkly intriguing series. Emily grows so much through the course of the series, from the popular girl, to the tormented soul to one who stands up for herself and sees more of the important things than she used to. Emily has had moments when you really don’t care all that much for her, but her final transformation is one you end up barracking for. JD really comes into his own in this book after being, in part, the catalyst for Emily’s curse. He comes to realise that sometimes you have to put yourself out there and risk looking silly, to fight for something that is important to you. The Furies remain gloriously selfish and twisted right to the end.

Miles created place that is so everyday, anywhere and wove through it the magic and mythology of the Furies. It is a place where the two aspects blend seamlessly, and there is no need for the reader to question if the Furies belong in that town. A fitting end.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Published: 10 October 2013

Format: Paperback 336 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Mythology

ISBN 13: 9780857072092

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on side of the page.

 

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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The School for Good and Evil

the-school-for-good-and-evilBy: Soman Chainani

Sophie is so excited. Every four years two children from Gavaldon are kidnapped, supposedly they are taken to the School For Good and Evil. There the good one would be trained to be a fairytale princess or prince, and the bad one a villain. Sophie is so sure she is going to be taken to be a princess, it’s all she ever wanted. It is her destiny, her escape. She is everything a princess should be – pretty, blonde, health conscious and does good deeds. Her best friend Agatha doesn’t see things that way, everyone expects Agatha to be taken for the School of Evil. Agatha is dark, moody, not easily befriended and lives in a cemetery. Things however don’t go to Sophie’s plan. Sure both girls are taken but the rest goes all wrong. It seems sometimes the princess and the witch don’t look like everyone expects then to.

I don’t want to say much more about the plot because I don’t want to give too much away. This was a wonderful story. It takes the cliches and gives them a little twist. Chainani has created a world that is real and yet seems to have been created with tongue firmly planted in cheek. I love Agatha, she doesn’t fit but she does. Sophie is so determined to prove what she is that she misses what is plainly clear. The characters that surround our central two have as much to learn as they do, they see what they expect to see rather than what is really there.

A wonderful, and enchanting tale. Delicately crafted and layered. This story is all about the layers. It isn’t about what you see on the surface, rather it is about motivations, what is truly at the heart of someone. This idea is what drives this story along and it is told without preaching. The packaging, the world, the school is colourful, full of wonderful contrasts. The jump between good and evil is fluid, it never feels clunky. The descriptions make it easy to picture the entire school. Perfect for those who love fairytales, or even just a good story. Great for 10+  but younger YA readers will love it too.

Do yourself a favour and read it.

Highly Recommended

Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books

Published: 06 June 2013

Format: Paperback 496 pages

Categories: Fairytales, Fantasy

ISBN 13: 9780007492930

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page.

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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Briar Rose

I received my copy from the publisher

9781447241096By: Jana Oliver

Briar Rose loves fairy tales, it’s a bit silly really but that’s how it is. She lives in the same town her family has lived in for generations, and is even involved in a honest to goodness family feud with the Quinn family. The whole thing is a bit strange, when they were younger Briar and Joshua Quinn used to be good friends, then something happened. A something that has had a lasting effect on both. The two are not allowed to talk or associate in any way. Sometimes though parents aren’t right, and now Briar is about to turn 16 she is going to find out the truth. Briar will find herself part of her own fairy tale, doomed by a curse to die. Her best friend isn’t about to let that happen and with a little magic the curse is changed and Briar is merely sleeping.

It’s not just any sort of sleep though, she now finds herself trapped in a twisted fairy tale, one with elements she recognises but that is in so many ways that matter, different to any tale she has ever read. Whilst trying to understand a strange land with strange rules Briar has to find a way out, she must complete a certain task and surely then she will be free. But in this twisted fairy tale things just aren’t that simple.

Briar is an average girl, who doesn’t understand her mother’s obsession with hating the Quinn family. She doesn’t understand why her mother has her effectively wrapped in cotton wool. She just wants a boyfriend, someone to love her and if he happens to be a handsome prince then that would be just fine with her. At her core Briar is loyal and brave. Her best friend Reena is the one with the magic touch and her loyalty is even stronger, she is able to see outside Briar’s prejudices and has great strength and determination. Joshua isn’t convinced the family feud is the right thing and he feels drawn to Briar. The addition of Pat, arrogant and selfish provides a nice counterpoint. He just wants to survive and get back home, he doesn’t care about the quest or helping the village, in some ways it is his character that has the most dramatic arc.

Oliver has taken a familiar tale and twisted it in a couple of fun, dark ways. The world of the fairy tale is gritty, bleak and a wonderful contrast to the world Briar comes from. The places where it differs from the tale you expect are what really holds your attention. An intriguing read. If you love fairy tales, magic and a little romance then definitely pick this book up.

Recommended.

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books

Published: 12 September 2013

Format: Paperback 480 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tales

ISBN 13: 9781447241096

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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The Fault in Our Stars – Casting News

Well here we go, this could be really awesome news. The amazing book by John Green The Fault In Our Stars is to be made into a film.

Here is the casting news as I know it as of the moment.

Shailene Woodley will be Hazel Grace Lancaster

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Ansel Elgort will be Augustus Waters

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Natt Wolff will be Isaac

Nat-Wolff

Laura Dern will be Hazel’s mother

'Nebraska' Premiere - The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Seriously though if you have not read this book do yourself a favour and find a copy, it is wonderful. It made me laugh and it made me cry even when I was on the train.

Category:

Book to Film, Young Adult Fiction

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