October 2014 – Heart Full of Books

Review: A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani

Published on October 30, 2014January 2, 2015 by Heart Full Of Books2 Comments

A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani
Genre: Fairy-tale Retelling, Middle-Grade
Published by: Harper Collins
Pages: 443
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I absolutely adore fairy tales – especially retellings, hence why I’m devoting six months of my life to studying them for my EPQ. So, when I discovered ‘The School for Good and Evil’, there was no way I was going to leave the store without it (and the covers are the most beautiful thing, like, forever after.)

I devoured the first book extremely quickly and was hungry for more, more, more of Agatha and Sophie’s tale, so I couldn’t be more delighted with the sequel ‘A World Without Princes’ when I got the chance to read it.

‘A World Without Princes’ is about how the School for Good and Evil changed once Sophie and Agatha escaped the Endless Woods and got their assumed ‘happy ending’, with Agatha choosing friendship over the love of Prince Tedros. The two girls proved that happy endings could be achieved without princes (not like you didn’t get that from the title or anything) so it seems the fairy tale world changed the past, present and future to reflect this new feminist movement.

However, Agatha understands better than anyone that a world without princes isn’t that great, and not just for the selfish reason that she wants true love’s kiss (it’s the most powerful magic of all, you know.) I like to think of this book as a social commentary on the disadvantages of ‘man-hating’ feminism and how actions can be misinterpreted. This book definitely took the patriarchal rivalry thing to a whole new level: to the death!

Agatha and Sophie face many moral problems throughout this book. Is Sophie Evil? Is Sophie Good? Does Sophie still love Tedros? Mostly, it’s Agatha worrying about Sophie’s intentions, because the first book in the series proved that we shouldn’t always trust the sugary-pink princess. Yet, I really loved how tormented Agatha was over Sophie’s true being (gosh, that sounded Evil – I’m Good, I swear…OK now I sound like Sophie.)

Although Sophie may be walking a fine line between Good and Evil, she always tries to be Good in her heart. This is what makes her my favourite of the pairing, just because you never know which of her natures is going to pull her next action.

One thing I can say about this novel is the FRICKIN’ PLOT TWISTS, MAN! I swear for the last fifty pages, I had no idea how Agatha and Sophie’s story was going to end. I was, and I kid you not, literally on the edge of my seat (furnished with a Sleeping Beauty pillow) with anticipation. Was Agatha going to choose Tedros or Sophie? Was Sophie going to becoming an evil hag-witch-monster? What was going to happen to the School Master, or the genuinely evil Dean? WOULD THERE EVER BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER?!

Well, the answer to that is no. Soman Chainani ended the novel with THE EN. THE EN!! If anything, this makes me incredibly happy, because it means Agatha and Sophie’s story isn’t over. I mean, surely, their story can’t end where it did! Agatha and Sophie were the epitome of friendship, ignoring their differences, the perfect pair. I CANNOT deal with this being ruined by some blond King Arthur wannabe. Ugh.

Summer 2015 needs to get here sooner. I NEED the next book as much as Agatha and Sophie need the Storian to finish writing THE END to their story. Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars, because I did find some parts repetitive which irritated me slightly, but generally this was the perfect sequel to a brilliant fairy tale with a twist.

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Published on October 29, 2014January 26, 2015 by Heart Full Of Books3 Comments

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Speak
Pages: 201
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Series: Where She Went (#2)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I really need to take a break from reading sad books, because the number of books I have cried at has significantly increased in the past month. When you’re doing a lot of coursework and essay writing for school, short books are your friend, ergo I read If I Stay. I nabbed this book off of Sarah the last time I went to her house, and she said that she ‘enjoyed’ it. I can’t quite remember whether the word – if you could count it as such – ‘meh’ but that’s probably the noise I would use to describe If I Stay.

I enjoyed it, but it was also just a bit ‘well yeah, okay.’ It could have been shorter, because I felt the middle was slightly repetitive, but the emotions were well written and I did enjoy it. Any book that can make me cry I have to have enjoyed at some point, otherwise there would be no juxtaposition.

Mia was a likeable character, I guess you could say I felt like I knew her, however I’m not a very musical person which, although it didn’t detract from the story, I wasn’t always aware of the significance of the references. Thank you Gayle Forman for the ‘Behind the Music’ explanation-y bits at the back. I can say, that if you do enjoy music, or are a skilled musician yourself, then you will probably find it a lot easier to connect to Mia and the other characters. That isn’t to say that I couldn’t connect with the characters, because I really liked the parents. It thought they were wacky and fun, and their death – not a spoiler – was hard hitting, and really made me understand why the whole ‘if I stay’ argument was such a debated one.

Adam is the love interest, and I thought he was okay. I didn’t fall in love with him like I did Étienne St. Clair or Dimitri Belikov of Jace Wayland (my favourites in reverse order) but he seemed like a nice enough guy, and I thoroughly enjoyed his attempts to get into the ICU. Kim was the best friend and I enjoyed her character, and hers and Mia’s backstory, it was believable and fun. My favourite character? Gramps. Hands down it was the grandad, because almost everything he said to the comatose Mia made me cry. He was so sweet, and so understanding, and it was nice to see some grandparents in YA. They’re not often there, so it was very refreshing.

One thing that slightly annoyed me about If I Stay was the structure. The significant information that isn’t relative to Mia’s medical condition is told entirely through flashbacks and backstories. I’m not the biggest fan of this format, unless it’s written by Morgan Matson. Gayle Forman handled it well, but by biggest problem was that I didn’t like them equally. I was happy when we were in the present, and I was happy when we were in the past. What I didn’t like was the chopping and changing, which led to ‘I don’t want to be in a seven-years-ago flashback! What’s happening to Mia’s brother now!’ or something along those lines. I felt like we were ripped away from present Mia, just so she could tell us an anecdote that I considered to be less important to her current situation. I already liked Adam, Kim and her family because of their reactions to Mia’s being in hospital, and in the beginning I liked the novelty of being through into the life of a family of which I had no context.

Overall, I gave If I Stay three out of five stars, because I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it.

Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Published on October 28, 2014January 2, 2015 by Heart Full Of BooksLeave a comment

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 468
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I love Morgan Matson’s writing style. I will put that out there to begin with, and I strongly suggest that if you are yet to read any of her works, then start with Amy and Roger so that you can enjoy the true joys of cameo mentions. Unfortunately I read her novels out of sequence so I missed the little gem that is Amy and her boyfriend’s (squeal) mention.

I don’t know why, but I didn’t have high hopes for Second Chance Summer, and all I can say in response to past Bee is ‘WHY?’ I think it was mostly because the blurb makes a truly beautiful story sound cliche, when it wasn’t. It so wasn’t.

What I wasn’t expecting from Second Chance Summer was cancer. What did her dad have? Cancer. The terminal kind. I thought I would be prepared for his death, because the whole summer trip is prefaced in the very first chapter that her dad only has three months to live – it’s not a spoiler, it really isn’t – but I was wholly unprepared for it to actually happen. I legitimately cried for the entirety of the last fifty pages. There were sad tears, there were happy tears, and my were there a lot of them. The only problem I had was that Taylor, our main character, didn’t know when to say ‘I love you’ to her father, and I was shouting at her ‘You don’t need a reason to say it! There is no wrong time to tell someone you love them’ and because of this the ending was even more poignant.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s talk about Taylor. Taylor, Emily and Amy. I would like all three of them to be my best friends. Taylor is lovely, even though she has a propensity from running away from her feelings, and from bad things. Which is a problem when she has such a wonderful love interest, Henry. Henry is outdoorsy, but vulnerable and, let’s face it, pretty much perfect. Their relationship is tense, because Taylor ran away at a crucial moment in their past. Like in Morgan Matson’s other novels, backstories are interspersed throughout, but nothing feels forced, everything is gently woven together so that the reader can begin to fit the pieces together. Normally, I’m not a big fan of backstories, but Morgan Matson somehow makes them work AND feel natural.

I loved reading about the Taylor’s progression. She’s back at her old holiday home after being away from five years, and she had to reignite the friendships she once had with pretty much everyone. Character development is also another thing Morgan Matson does excellently. Every time Taylor overcame a previous anxiety or regained a relationship with someone from her previous time at the Lake, I was so happy, and kept me reading. I did not want to put this book down.

I also loved the minor love story arcs, like Lucy’s and Taylor’s brother’s they complimented the main love story and…there are no words to describe how amazing this book is. No words. I feel like I could spiel about Second Chance Summer for the next five hours, going into every plot point, but this is a review, not a five thousand word essay. To sum up, I gave SCS five stars, because it seriously deserves them.

Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Published on October 28, 2014January 26, 2015 by Heart Full Of BooksLeave a comment

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Genre: Supernatural, Apocalyptic
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 488
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★.5
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

So, we had two copies of this book, and this normally means that we love the book so much, we just can’t share it. Let me tell you now that the fate of the second book is not looking good and does not at all parallel that of the second copy of ‘Fangirl’ by Rainbow Rowell and ‘Anna and the French Kiss’ by Stephanie Perkins.

We’ve had the first book on the shelves for a while. There was a lot of hype surrounding this book a while ago, but we let it die down before we decided to read it. Then, the third and final book in the series, Into the Afterlight, came out a few days ago, and suddenly everyone’s ravenously reading this series like a slice of fresh cake.

I was not impressed.

The premise sounded good. The title was intriguing. I thought it was going to be so much more than it was, when really all the book amounted to was a waste of 488 pages. The journey the main character goes through is circular and ridiculous, leading me to question why I invested the time into reading something I didn’t enjoy.

Ruby, as a main character, held all of the tropes of a protagonist I do not like. Number One being that she was adamant she was a ‘monster’ because of her powers. Number Two being that she was victim of an instant romance that hit you in the face like a bus (and was just as unwelcome.) She had a case of I-only-develop-a-personality-200-pages-in syndrome that did nothing but demotivate me from finishing this book.

How did I do it, you ask? I don’t know.

I had a number of problems with this book, like the irrational pacing and the insta-love but nothing annoyed me more than the dimensions of the Black Betty van. From the description (which is lengthly to say the least) this van is at least the size of a bungalow. Somehow the people in the front seat couldn’t see Ruby hidden in the back seat, because the back seat acted as a living-room-bedroom that was six metres long.

I didn’t understand what was happening a lot of the time because the important and fast paced scenes were so short and underdeveloped. I didn’t understand the use of the ‘fade-to-black’ technique that left the reader guessing whether Ruby was sexually harassed by this jerky expletive guy. I certainly didn’t understand why Zu, one of the main characters, had to leave, or the fate of Chubs, another of the main four.

And, talking of the jerky expletive guy, I completely saw his plot twist a mile off. DO NOT TRUST anyone but yourself is the advice I would give to any dystopian novel participant.

As I can’t think of anything I particularly liked about this book, I’m going to leave the review there, because my hate fire is too stoked to continue. HOWEVER, part of me wants to know how this series could possibly progress, so if I subject myself to that, I’ll be sure to let you know of my opinion. Overall, I give this book 1.5 stars, redeemed by the shopping sequence and the traumatising back story that was the only event in the book that made me feel any emotion but irritation.

Review: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Published on October 27, 2014January 2, 2015 by Heart Full Of Books1 Comment

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Knopf Books
Pages: 208
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★.5
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I picked up Nick and Norah mostly because it was only 188 pages long, and I needed a quick read to get that satisfaction of actually reading something. And I was pleasantly surprised! I wanted something light and fun that I could just pick up and put down. I needed good writing to make up for some of the most recent books I have read that I have not enjoyed, and I thought Nick and Norah was a safe bet.

I got way more than I anticipated. I was hooked from the first page. Nick was probably my favourite out of the two because Leviathan’s writing style was so poetic and beautiful. Everything was so circular and clever and I loved every minute. Norah’s perspective was also really wonderful, and I liked how free and teenager-y the dialogue was. I believed that the characters were real people. There was swearing, there was sexual references, and it felt real. Nothing about this book glamorised teenage-hood, and that was partly what made this books so enjoyable.

I liked that it was just about these two characters who were so unique, but also so similar. There was quite a cast of characters, but they felt like they were significant, not just written for the sake of being written. The plot was very simple – two teenagers who spend a day together, and try and get to know each other whilst also trying to get over someone else – but it was executed well.

I wasn’t really a fan of everything Norah said, and sometimes their conversations seemed a little forced, but I suppose they were meant to. What I can’t believe, most of all, is that this book was written in 2006 and yet I’ve barely heard anything about it! I known they made a movie adaptation, but after watching the trailer and thinking “that’s not how it goes!” I don’t think I’ll be watching it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read that will make them laugh and get lost in the story. I think I’ll give the book 3.5 stars, because I did enjoy it, but the middle dragged on a bit and I think the resolution could almost have come a lot earlier in the story line. But it was only 188 pages, so I can’t complain too much!

Review: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Published on October 26, 2014January 2, 2015 by Heart Full Of BooksLeave a comment

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Published by: Little Brown Books
Pages: 354
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon
Wait, there’s going to be a movie?! How very ‘The Spectacular Now’.

There were a lot of things about this book that really jumped out at me. I love the title, how to the point it is. You definitely know what you’re getting with this one. I love the addition of pictures. That extra element just adds originality to the story but also enhances it so much. It definitely wouldn’t be the same without the beautiful pictures.

The novel follows Min, short of Minerva, Roman goddess of knowledge, as she explains the stories behind all the items she put in a box to deliver to her ex-boyfriend, Ed. Min is “different”, but only to someone who’s life is filled with basketball games and getting drunk at house parties. Ed is “different”, but only to someone who loves old movies and sitting in coffee shops. The point is, Min and Ed were two very different people and therefore not suited to each other in the eyes of their unsupportive best friends.

But if someone tells you you’re not right for someone, you’re going to do all you can to prove you are, right? Somehow, Ed changes when he’s with Min and I really liked how he was willing to change and try new things but I hoped that the developments he made with Min, such as not using ‘gay’ to describe things (urgh, those people actually exist) would translate into his basketball life. They didn’t. Away from Min, he was still the same guy with a string of angry ex-girlfriends who were more than willing to be his shoulder to cry on.

Min’s relationship with Ed, very realistically, alienated her from her friends, which is never the right thing. She didn’t grow as Ed did, but she definitely matured. I loved her realisation at the end of the relationship that there was nothing ‘different’ about her, and that was just a label given to her by ignorant teenagers that were to involved in their own lives to be bothered about anyone that didn’t resemble their personality. (I like to think of this book as a book about doomed romance but also a social commentary.)

I particularly enjoyed the beginning of the book, when Ed was innocent and so was Min. The way their relationship blossomed was lovely, if a little bit fast paced but I guess that’s the cliche of young love. However, once you get to know Ed, you realise he is the ‘jerk bastard prick’ that Min describes him as.

I thought that the actual break up was slightly anticlimactic. I wanted their to be a huge fight, with not just Min arguing at Ed. She, at the very least, needed to punch the guy for what he did. Two punches, even. Heck, she needed to invite her friends to help her beat him up.

Overall, I’d give this book four stars. The pictures and short chapters helped to push me through the novel in a very addicted fashion, as well as helping me to guess what was going to happen next. Daniel Handler’s irregular writing leant itself well to the style of this book: a long and slightly rambling explanation of a teenage break up from the girl’s perspective. I’d be really interested to read this book also from Ed’s perspective, with different items, but only to a certain extent because he was a dick.

I think this book definitely did its job, because if that was what a break up felt like, I never want to love.

Review: Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly

Published on October 25, 2014January 26, 2015 by Heart Full Of Books3 Comments

Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly
Genre: Supernatural, Adventure, Romance, Middle-Grade
Published by: Disney Press
Pages: 320
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★★
Series: Deep Blue (#1)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Most importantly, what a beautiful cover.

‘Rogue Wave’ had a lot to prove as the sequel to ‘Deep Blue’, a book that became less impressive as it continued on. ‘Deep Blue’ ended at a very climatic battle, with the six mermaid friends swimming into a mirror in order to escape from the hands of the enemy. I thought we would be instantly thrown back into the action at the beginning of this novel, but was severely disappointed.

The book began with the six mermaids having parted ways (when previously they’d been told they were strongest when together) and only three out of the six mermaids had a prominent role in this story; Sera, Neela and Ling. Becca, Ava and Astrid were hardly mentioned, and since we didn’t really get to know them at all in the first book, I was frustrated that they were still minor characters. Heck, calling them minor characters is an overstatement: they were basically non-existent.

I was especially surprised that the mermaids had split up to go on their quest, because, yes it would be quicker if they went their separate ways, but the blurb promised me an adventure with all six mermaids. There was no way I wasn’t going to be put out at their absence if I was expecting them all to be equally present.

Sera, Neela and Ling (and I assume the other three) are trying to find talismans that link to their Antlantian ancestors in order to defeat the villain of the novels and reclaim their realms. The third person narrator lent itself well to this story, as we were able to focus on both Sera and Neela as they were split up. Overall, I preferred Sera’s part of the story. Although a lot of what happened to her was very convenient (Oh no, I’m going to be attacked by death riders, oh look, there’s a secret safe house! Oh no, this ghost woman is going to kill me, oh look, this diamond is helping my life force! Oh no, my true love is a horrible person, oh look, he loved me all along!) there was a lot more adventure compared to Neela, who spent most of her sections just running away from different threats – and when she did do something adventurous, like defeat a sea dragon, it was only dwelled on for about a page of the novel. Brilliant.

This book was just as pun-y as the last and especially liked the use of transparensea spells (how many transparensea pearls are there? Are they hard to find? If so, the stock must be seriously low) to get out of tricky situations. I definitely think that this book was better than the first as there was a lot more going on, however, it didn’t feel as bitty as the last book. Everything had some sort of purpose, which would later be explained and the ending wasn’t ridiculous.

If this is a trilogy, I think the next book as been well set up, and I look forward to finding out how Becca, Ava and Astrid did on their half of the quest. (A lot of days seemed to pass in this book and I found the time scale quite hard to follow between Sera and Neela, so hopefully that will also be resolved)

My expectations for this series is for it to only get better, as there is a battle coming up, and with the combined powers of the six mermaids, it’s such to be exciting. Overall, I’d give this book three stars, because the book didn’t deliver what was promised on the blurb and the convenience of the story drew away from the action and suspense. Definitely recommended to girls age 10-12!

Review: Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the R.M.S Titanic by Iain Reading

Published on October 23, 2014January 2, 2015 by Heart Full Of BooksLeave a comment

Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the R.M.S Titanic by Iain Reading
Genre: Adventure, Mystery
Published by: Amazon
Pages: 320
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Ever since I watched the 2007 Emma Roberts movie ‘Nancy Drew’ last month, I’ve been desperate to read a detective story. Kitty Hawk definitely fit the bill! I loved the idea that Kitty was a girl flying solo around the world, an Amelia Earhart heroine. It was all so original and well thought out – I couldn’t believe how it all came together.

I have to admit that when I read this book, the suspense of the mystery was just added to by having my Kindle read the story aloud. It was great to get to listen to the adventure as well as read it.

So, the story starts off with Kitty endorsing free sushi in a sumo-wrestler’s costume, and if that doesn’t completely drawn you in I don’t know what does! She is approached by a cute guy, Andrew, that acts as her love interest, to solve a mystery, as she’s built up quite a reputation for herself. (This is the fourth book in the series and I did not read books one, two, or three. However, this did not hinder my enjoyment of the novel at all, or ruin the plots of the previous books!) The mystery is all to do with the honour of a family, who’s reputation as been sullied because of the events of the Titanic disaster.

If there was one bad thing about this book, it was that it took a while for the minor characters to explain different parts of the backstory to Kitty. I’d say at least 25% of the total book is spent learning about different key events. (If ever I have to write an essay on The Titanic, Egyptian Hieroglyphs or Jack the Ripper, this book had it covered.) This did inhibit the flow of the novel, causing me to be able to split it into multiple sections instead of a continuous storyline. On the other hand, I loved the change of locations between London and Dublin.

My favourite scene was probably the jet-ski chase, which made the front cover of the novel. It was fast paced and full of tension, although the action was sparse because I think this book was more about thinking than doing. I didn’t really understand how old Kitty Hawk was meant to be throughout this series, as Andrew is described as a man, yet he becomes her sort-of-boyfriend. I’m guessing she’s about eighteen, because she can jet around the world by herself with no-one questioning her ID. When reading this book, I kept thinking of the Professor Layton games, because pictures, maps and diagrams are given in this book so the reader can try and puzzle out the mystery as Kitty does. That’s an aspect that really sets this book apart from the rest, along with the research material that is found at the back of the book which explains the inspiration for the events that transpire in the book and real Google searches!

Overall, I’d give Kitty Hawk four stars, because I did enjoy it immensely, however, the pacing was slow in many places which led me to put the book down and put off picking it back up again. I’d recommend this book to anyone that loves Nancy Drew, but wishes Nancy was targeted at a young adult audience!

Spoiler Review: Waterfall by Lauren Kate

Published on October 23, 2014January 26, 2015 by Heart Full Of Books5 Comments

Waterfall by Lauren Kate
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Published by: Random House
Pages: 400
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★
Series: Teardrop (#1)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I have absolutely no idea what happened in this book. There were about seven different ideas all crammed into one, that made everything too convenient for my liking. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first book, but I somehow managed to enjoy the sequel even less.

Firstly, what ever happened to the romance between Ander and Eureka? Did the entirety of the first book mean nothing? We start with one boy and end with another, and I was completely confused about how cold hearted, and selfish Eureka must have been to do what she did. I couldn’t connect with her one bit, and when you don’t like the main character, it’s pretty hard to enjoy their story. On that note, Eureka turned into something beyond my imagining in Waterfall, I thought she was slightly annoying in Teardrop with her mellow drama, but she just took it to the next level. It’s not often that I’m harsh with a book, even if I don’t like it, but I honestly just didn’t like what Eureka became – a murder, manipulative, and unthoughtful. Eureka even got to the point where she seemed to delight in torturing others, which didn’t bode well with me at all.

Another problem I had was that the characters just don’t mourn the deaths of loved ones for nearly long enough. In fact, they almost seem to wipe their hands of them after ten seconds, and then don’t give them another thought. The only exception to this was Diana, Eureka’s mother, who we are constantly reminded of. That, and Brooks, who doesn’t die, but Eureka is always thinking about him, and how Atlas possessed his body – so I guess if I’d just put two and two together I may well have saw the ending coming.

The idea of everybody having a ‘quirk’ annoyed me, because it was just so convenient, and seemed like a cop out. I loved that Claire had a special power in Teardrop, and I wanted it to be explained in this mystical way where maybe she would be connected to the tearline, but no. It turned out everybody has a quirk and they all seem to just magically appear when they’re in Solon’s caves. I liked the amethyst witches – or whatever they were called – and I would love to read something where they are the main characters, because they kept the plot going, and made the story interesting when Eureka was in Solon’s cave and not really doing anything, other than feeling sorry for herself. I was amazed at how little happened in the beginning, and even the middle, but then ALL THE THINGS happened during the final sequence when we were in Atlantis. There was so much more mythology and things to wrap our heads around, and I was just so confused.

I just need a minute to shuffle my thoughts about the ending, because, seriously? When Eureka’s possessing Atlas’ body she’s so overwhelmed with the fact that she’s a boy, she pees. What? And then this other woman, who is Eureka’s ‘mother’ and Brooks all just fit inside the body as well? The only thing I actually liked about this book was the very end. Eureka can finally be happy because she died and is with Brooks – at least I thought she died, and I thought she was with Brooks. If this wasn’t the end of the series, then I have absolutely no idea what could happen next. From the ending and the fact that Eureka. Dies. I think this has to just be a duology. The fact that I didn’t really mind when Eureka died, showed that I couldn’t connect with her, it wasn’t like the Divergent series where every single death hits you.

In conclusion, I am incredibly sorry if this review lacks any coherency, but my thoughts are just so jumbled after reading Waterfall, I really don’t know what to make of it. What I can tell you is that I would only reward this book ONE star. I can’t give it a two star rating, because that’s what I gave Teardrop and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I liked this even less. I’m not going to go so far as to give this no stars , because the final final final chapter – or maybe just the last page – made up for all my dislike, because I could finally be at peace with Eureka’s story, and she could be at peace also, because – wait for it – she died.

Just as a side note, I may well come back an edit this review after I’ve had some time to let my feelings simmer down.

Review: Fire in the Woods by Jennifer M. Eaton

Published on October 22, 2014October 22, 2014 by Heart Full Of Books1 Comment

We were given this book for review courtesy of Month9Books in exchange for an honest review.

Fire in the Woods is about a girl called Jess, who gives on an army base. A UFO has crashed nearby, causing chaos very close to home. Perhaps not so coincidentally, Jess stumbles across a hot guy, called David, in the woods who isn’t exactly normal. Turns out, not normal means alien, and both Jess and David have to work together to try and get David back home without the forces of the US military raining down upon them. Sounds tricky? Well…a bit.

First of all, we really, really enjoyed the beginning of the novel. The fact that Jess’s passion as a photographer was what led her to David, instead of being a girl seeking adventure was original and creative. Jess did not have the annoying traits of a dystopian protagonist, for example being dead set on self sacrifice, and was therefore an easy character to like and read.

The pacing of the novel was slightly irregular, with surges of action happening throughout, although the beginning of the novel was quite slow going. It took about 40% of the book for Eaton to set up the plot for the rest of the book, and to build the preliminary relationship between Jess and David (which did come across as insta-lovey, but if someone walked into my life resembling Jake Abel, I also wouldn’t hesitate to get as close to them as possible, as quickly as possible.) Plus, this book is the beginning of a quartet, so we can forgive any fudged over explaining within the debut novel. The one thing I was really impressed with was the reasonability of the whole plot. I’ve seen ‘Paul’, I know the military would be down for an alien goose chase. I though the descriptions of the aliens and their motives were realistic and complet fire in the woods ely not cliches (at least I wasn’t rolling my eyes because David’s skin was green – it was actually purple.)

I found myself a little lost once Jess and David had barely escaped from the hands of David’s captors, after the Walmart scene. A lot of things happened and I wasn’t sure about the direction Jess and David were going in (both figuratively and literally – they had to go north at some point!) And when we reached the climatic scene towards the end of the novel where David was ‘rescued’ by his own species and the ultimate face off occurred between the military and the aliens, Bee and I were both confused. First, they hated each other, then they were going to work in harmony, then more hate, more harmony, some plots for the destruction of the human race that came to nothing, then were back in action, then stopped, then continued. I wasn’t surprised that Jess blacked out. Was the constant change of plan making her head spin as much as mine?

I’m hoping that the final decision between the humans and the aliens, and what the aliens plan on doing to the humans is clear in the next book ‘Ashes in the Sky’, otherwise, I’m going to have to make a flow chart of events or something.

Overall, we both really enjoyed this book. It slightly reminded me of ‘Scarlet’ by Marissa Meyer because of the tension between David and Jess, knowing their relationship can only last so long, and of course, the train scene. The action, although very quick to transpire, kept me wanting to read on and wanting to know the outcome of David and Jess’s romance. The book started so strong, which was excellent, but then lost its touch a little towards the end as more things started to happen. For that reason, we’ve decided to give ‘Fire in the Woods’ 3.75 stars.

Thank you so much Month9Books for the opportunity to read this amazing debut! We can’t wait to read what happens next in this alien adventure.

Enter to Win:

· One of Five (5) Digital Copies of Fire in the Woods by Jennifer M. Eaton (INT)

· One (1) gorgeous necklace [The pendant is 1.75 inches, and the chain is about 26 inches long]

Winner will be drawn November 7, 2014

ABOUT JENNIFER M. EATON: Corporate Team Leader by day, and Ranting Writer by night. Jennifer M. Eaton calls the East Coast of the USA home, where she lives with her husband, three energetic boys, and a pepped up poodle. Jennifer hosts an informational blog “A Reference of Writing Rants for Writers (or Learn from My Mistakes)” aimed at helping all writers be the best they can be. Beyond writing and motivating others, she also enjoys teaching her dog to jump through hoops—literally. Jennifer’s perfect day includes long hikes in the woods, bicycling, swimming, snorkeling, and snuggling up by the fire with a great book; but her greatest joy is using her over-active imagination constructively… creating new worlds for everyone to enjoy.

Offical Blurb of Fire in the Woods When a plane crashes in the woods near Jess’s home, the boy of her dreams falls out of the sky—literally. But David’s not here to find a girlfriend. He’s from another planet, and if Jess can’t help him get back to his ship, he’ll be stuck on Earth with nothing to look forward to but the pointy end of a dissection scalpel. But her father runs their house like an army barracks, and with an alien on the loose, Major Dad isn’t too keen on the idea of Jess going anywhere. Ever. So how the heck is she supposed to help the sweetest, strangest, and cutest guy she’s ever met? Hiding him in her room probably isn’t the best idea. Especially since her Dad is in charge of the squadron searching for David. That doesn’t mean she won’t do it. It just means she can’t get caught. Helping David get home while protecting her heart—that’s gonna be the hard part. After all, she can’t really fall for a guy who’s not exactly from here. As they race through the woods with Major Dad and most of the U.S. military one breath behind them, Jess and David grow closer than either of them anticipated. But all is not what it seems. David has a genocide-sized secret, and one betrayal later, they are both in handcuffs as alien warships are positioning themselves around the globe. Time is ticking down to Armageddon, and Jess must think fast if she’s to save the boy she cares about without sacrificing Earth—and everyone on it.