Tag: fiction

Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

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14742334Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Published by: Harper Collins
Pages: 341
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Series: Under The Never Sky (#1) | Into the Still Blue (#3)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

It seems that my opinion of this series has drastically changed compared to my five star review of ‘Under the Never Sky.’ However, sequels never really sit well for me. I thought that this book was really just a filler, without much plot, to propel us to the finale ‘Into the Still Blue.’ Continue reading “Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi” →

Review: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender

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Marie AntMASLoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary, Romance
Published By: Scholastic
Pages: 296
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★.5
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

This was another library book that I picked up without knowing anything about it before. It’s so invigorating to just read something you know nothing of, I don’t know, there’s just more excitement. ‘Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer’ intrigued me because of the string of murders (hence the ‘serial killer’ bit) by a ghost. It all happens in Paris, France on a school trip. Yippee!

I’d say this book was a very quick read. The writing style was simple to understand and the main plot point of the story was explored immediately without any faff. Although the main character annoyed me at times, as all good main characters do, I thought she really evolved through the events of the book. She grew more of a backbone and realised what was more important to her: true friends over popularity.

The romance was sweet, and short, as it would be if the school trip was only for a week. It all just felt very…French. I’ve only been to Paris three times, once in real life, once in ‘Anna and the French Kiss’ and once in ‘You’re the One that I Want’, so I had a pretty good grasp of the setting and the main tourist attractions.

I loved the slightly historical element of the book, telling the reader about Marie Antoinette and her life, and death as it goes. I didn’t know much about the French revolution, so it was nice to get those snippets of context. I think this also aided my enjoyment of the book, since it had a ‘Ruby Red’ feel to it. Just keep in mind there’s a ‘historical note’ at the back, saying that the characters are obviously fictional, all but Marie herself.

The murders were written tastefully, with very little or no graphic detail. All very PG. I loved the suspense that they built and the sense of dread I had towards the main character, Colette’s safety.

I didn’t so much like Colette’s ‘friends’, both of whom were vapid and conceited. I much preferred Audrey and Brynn, and in the end, so did Colette.

Overall, I’d give this book 2.5 stars. Despite enjoying it as a whole, the beginning of the book was slow and the fact I didn’t like some of the main characters detracted from my enjoyment. I thought the mystery of the killings was too easily solved and resolved, though I did like the Lara Croft-esque bit towards the end. I’d recommend this to anyone interested in a short and fun read, who isn’t too interested in lots of plot depth. Generally, a good library find!

Review: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

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To All The Boys ITo All the Boys‘ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★.5
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I got everything that I was expecting with this book, except the promised plot. We were sold on the idea that boys would be receiving love letters from a girl who doesn’t love them anymore, but there were only five letters. Two boys didn’t bother to confront her about it. One boy was sweet about it, but fleeting in the story, and the other two guys ended up in a fight for Lara Jean’s affections.

What I wasn’t expecting was the classic ‘be-my-fake-boyfriend’ plot that steered the majority of the story. And what normally happens in this scenario? They actually fall in love. Did that happen? Is it really a surprise if I say yes?

Although I’m a fan of the fake bf/gf story line (like a good love triangle, when does it ever happen in real life?) I didn’t really get the purpose of this one. The explanation for it in the book was to ‘save face’. What does that even mean?!

The main character, Lara Jean, doesn’t really stand out for me as a character with much backbone. She’s super dependent on her sisters and kind of babyish. This naivety hinders her from doing things and speaking out when, really, that would make her a lot happier!

That said, I loved the relationship she had with her sisters. It was very equal and realistic and though I don’t know what it’s like to have older or younger sisters, I do have a sister and I know what it’s like to be angry with her! My favourite sister was probably Kitty, the youngest. She was adorable, determined and great at plaiting hair. I’d of much preferred a book from her perspective! J

The relationship between Lara Jean and her boy-next-door Josh went unresolved. He was one of her loves but the problem was, he was dating her older sister Margot. (Pronounced Mar-go or Mar-got?) They broke up. Both LJ and Josh were single. Did they get together once LJ knew Josh liked her too? NOPE! LJ did the fake bf routine with the most popular guy at school, Peter. WHYYY?!

Peter and LJ’s relationship was cute. I liked how they both were unsure and adorable to each other, with Peter really trying to impress LJ and Kitty. Josh faded into the background at this point, which was down right inconsistent, but he popped back up at the end of for the classic sister-betrayal fight.

A lot of clichés in this one. Sorry about that.

I originally thought that this was going to be a stand alone, but just discovered it was going to be a series. That’s good, otherwise I would have complained about the complete lack of satisfying ending. What happened with Josh? What happened with Peter? What happened with Margo? I had questions. A lot of them. Now, I guess, I wait for them to be answered.

Overall I’d give this book about 3.5 stars. I did enjoy it once it got going, but was surprised and the change of plot line from what was promised. Jenny Han has such a lovely way of writing family life and simple day activities, with a lot of emphasis put on food. LJ baked a lot in this book that made me crave cookies.

Generally cute, fluffy read with some substance. Definitely needs a sequel to tie up some very loose ends.

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

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Cinder by Macinderrissa Meyer
Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Romance
Published By: Puffin
Pages: 390
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I have recently become very interested in fairy tale retellings, and knew that there was a lot of hype surrounding the ‘Lunar Chronicles’ series by Marissa Meyer, containing four books: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter.

‘Cinder’, the first book in the series, is a retelling of Cinderella, who is my second favourite princess (the first being Jasmine from Aladdin) so I was super excited to dive into this book. I’ve never really read any science fiction before, but was intrigued by the cyborg/android element of the novel, which was a really good addition to the original tale.

One of the reviews in the front of the novel described ‘Cinder’ as a “fractured fairy tale”, which I think is the perfect way to describe it. There is no doubt that the content of the story is grounded within the fairy tale and your favourite parts can be found within this book, such as, the missing shoe (or foot in this case), the handsome prince, the wicked stepmother (politically correct term being ‘legal guardian’.)

Cinder, because of it’s sci-fi basis, is wonderfully fast paced. One of the story arcs is that there is this plague that is affecting the whole world and Cinder provides key scientific information about an antidote. This illness helped to add tension and fear to the novel, as Cinder’s sister, Peony, is claimed by the pestilence.

Both the reader and Cinder know little about where Cinder came from. It’s excellent to see her past unfold and her struggle with being a cyborg, a second class citizen that is bound to be looked down upon by the rest of society. There is quite a big twist in the story at the end, though the reader feels prepared for this, as they are fed little tidbits of information.

There are some extraterrestrials in the story, which want to wage war on Earth. (Seriously, there is so much going on, I can’t wait to read the next books in the series to see how it all pans out!) These aliens, called Lunars because they inhabit the moon, have brainwashing powers which can only lead to disaster.

All characters are wonderful. My favourites include Cinder (obviously because what’s not to love about that kick-ass girl?), her android friend Iko, who adds some light relief and the prince, Kai, who Cinder meets within the first chapter making for some great romantic tension all the way through the book.

It’s told in third person perspective, so a lot of the time the reader is with Cinder (the best place to be, she’s got a lot to do) but is sometimes in the presence of the prince, who has to diplomatically deal with the Lunars and their demands. Tough stuff.

My favourite part of the whole thing was probably the ball scene at the end of the novel. So much drama! So much excitement! What’s even better, there was no fairy godmother. Cinder went to the ball like a raggedy doll, with a foot that was too small for her and a dress coated in grease stains. Perfect. I loved how Cinder didn’t have to be beautiful like a princess and wasn’t treated like one. Don’t get me wrong, I love Cinderella, but it felt like Cinder was more deserving of a happy ending than she was.

What’s worse was that Cinder was left on a cliffhanger. The book ended in a ‘Darth Vader is Luke’s father’ kind of way before leaving Cinder imprisoned in the palace with a small hope of escape. I’m so glad that we’ll get to read more about Cinder and her *hopefully* happily ever after more in ‘Scarlet’. Speaking of which, Winter, Cress and a small mention of Scarlet was made within Cinder, leading to a few excited squeals from myself and Bee (we were reading this wonderful book together.) These small mentions will go a long way to ensure that the whole series flows together nicely from start to finish.

Bring on ‘Scarlet’!

Overall, I’d give this beautiful book five out of five stars, no question. It’s definitely made my favourites list and probably top 14 books of 2014 as well. I’d recommend this book to anyone who has read any Jackson Pierce books or just like fairy tales in general. They sure make for excellent reading!

Review: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

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Love Lettava-dellaira-love-letters-to-the-deaders to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Genre: Contemporary
Published By: Hot Key Books
Pages: 327
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Love Letters to the Dead was….definitely an interesting if not slightly unexpected read. I went into the book (obviously not literally) expecting it to be a more adult version of ‘Love, Aubrey’ by Suzanne LeFleur and came out the other side having read a parallel version of ‘Perks of Being a Wallflower’ where all the main characters are the opposite gender. Definitely not what I signed up for.

My lovely friend, Jasmine, recommended this book to me. Jasmine isn’t really an obsessive reader like I am, so for her to say it was ‘good’ was like me saying it was ‘the universe cannot exist without this book’ (as I did with the entire Percy Jackson franchise).I thought: “I love books about sisters.” ‘Fangirl’, ‘Sisters Red’, ‘…and unfortunately, I am used to one of the sisters dying…’The Lovely Bones’, ‘Love, Aubrey’. I thought: ‘definitely the book for me!’

Unfortunately not.

The book contained a lot of themes that I was uncomfortable with, for example, underage drinking and drug use. This meant that I felt quite isolated from the characters and didn’t feel like I could relate to them at all. Sad. I know that these themes can be a realistic portray of some teenagers’ lives, but to me, their actions were too toxic and led to bad decision that I couldn’t feel as much sympathy for.

However, this book also conquers a lot of themes that I feel need more exposure in young adult literature, for example, homosexuality and abusive relationships. (Can you see where I’m drawing the ‘Perks’ parallels?) These topics are always interesting to read because reading about something and getting these kind of subjects out there is fuelling social change. Although Hannah and Natalie’s relationship held the same troubles as Patrick and Brad’s, this didn’t take away from the struggles the girls faced, even if it wasn’t the most original relationship dynamic.

Some of my favourite parts of the book was when Laurel would write about May when she was alive and young. Their relationship was built around Laurel idolising May, and May having to keep up the facade of her perfection for Laurel’s sake. The way that May died, or the cause of her death, remains slightly ambiguous but I like to hope it was the wind that broke her wings. I was fully submersed in the world that May created, and wasn’t at all surprised about how Laurel reacted to her sister’s death because of their close bond. It must be difficult to be the younger sister. Thank goodness I’m a twin!

The reveal at the end of the book….disappointed me. As I’ve said, it dealt with an abusive relationship that was similar to what Charlie experienced in ‘Perks’. I wanted Laurel not to feel so broken, because she had the power to make herself whole and it wasn’t helping that she wouldn’t open up to the one person who truly cared about her, Sky, the love interest. Sky also knew May, so there was an intriguing question building between the couple of whether Sky liked Laurel for herself or simply because she resembled May (to be honest, Laurel was wearing May’s clothes.)

Overall, I give ‘Love Letters to the Dead’ 3 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed the letter writing format. There was nothing more rewarding than when I knew who she was writing to. Two poems were also used throughout the book “The Art of Losing” by Elizabeth Bishop and ‘I carry your heart’ by E.E.Cummings. (Did Dellaira just watch the movie ‘In Her Shoes’ while writing this?!) and a few of the poets I will be studying next year, which let me classifying reading ‘Love Letters’ as homework.

Generally, a nice debut. Don’t go into this thinking it’s going to be like ‘Love, Aubrey’ but if you’ve already read ‘Perks’ then maybe there’s no need to read this one…unless you prefer a female protagonist, in that case, this is the perfect book for you.

Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

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Miss P

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Genre: Supernatural, Contemporary
Published By: Quirk Books
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

This book wasn’t what I was expecting. It was peculiar, but then I guess that was the point. I went into this book not knowing much about it, only that it contained some marginally creepy photographs and Jesse the Reader loved it.

My reason for reading the book? I wanted to read one of Ransom Riggs’ books first, as Bee had already read Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and I needed to lay claim to half of the adorable couple.

The story begins with Jacob, who has a job given to him by the powers of nepotism. His grandfather had always told him odd stories about his past and how he lived with all these children in a home that catered for their peculiar talents. Having written all of his grandfather’s stories off as…well, stories Jacob was in for a major shock when he witnessed a horrific event and realized old Abe was telling the truth. Monsters were out there and so was Miss Peregrine.

This book took me to so many unexpected places. A riddle was given to Jacob that he had to try and solve but I, and he, had no idea that the resolution was going to involve time travel, or a time loop (all lingo is explained in the book, don’t worry) also transfiguration akin to Harry Potter and an underwater shipwreck that Ariel would have been comfortable with.

There was nothing wrong with the strange elements of the book, overall they added to the mysterious tone. But I find myself being unable to actually describe how I felt about the novel because I completely wasn’t expecting the outcome. I loved the plot twist at the end, there’s nothing better than a plot twist that you never saw coming, and the narrative was reminiscent of a John Green novel, but with subtler wit. The book had me laughing at relevant points and, if I’m honest, left me a little bit spooked for the next book, ‘Hollow City’, the title of which I now understand.

Characters were well built, and I thought the pictures were integrated really well into the story, I’ve never seen something like it before, that’s for sure. The presence of romance between Emma and Jacob did seem a little bit convenient and, if we were to look at the history Emma shared with Jacob’s grandfather, then it’s weird, but this issue is addressed by Jacob himself, so if he’s cool with it so am I.

I’d definitely recommend ‘Miss Peregrine’s’ to anyone looking for an unusual read that has a consistently interesting plot. There were definitely no boring moments and the change in direction of the plot kept me reading in rapture. In conclusion, I give this beautiful oddity 3 out of 5 stars because it isn’t something I’d usually read, but I loved it and definitely will be reading the sequel as soon as my library get it in stock.

Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

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Bur13406425n For Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 358
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I managed to read this book in a day. It was that gripping. It probably helped that the chapters were short due to the changing perspectives, but something about this book meant that I couldn’t put it down. By the end, I still couldn’t work out which perspective I liked the most. Although, it’s probably a tie between Lillia and Kat, considering Mary faded into obscurity in some moments, considering she was the new girl and was not allowed to be seen with her cohorts in public situations.

I desperately wanted to like the book even more than I did, but my moral compass said that it would be wrong to completely agree with the revenge that the girls were enacting. Yes, the characters may have deserved a little bit of karma due to insane personality defects, but my stomach clenched every time they took revenge because you just know that they have to get caught out at some point.

It’s always interesting to read about the American school system and experience, because it sounds completely different from the UK system. There were quite a few clichés in the personalities and cliques, but that’s just what gives these kinds of books their charm. The social hierarchy is always a ‘fun one’ to experience in writing, especially when you get the ‘insiders view’ – which is never as perfect as you think it’s going to be. But I found it odd that we didn’t hear about any of the other friends that Mary must have made at some point, despite the fact that she’s the new girl surely she would have been able to make at least one other friend – I know she’s reserved, but considering her past I’m sure she wouldn’t purposefully want to be alone.

I liked how the character’s backstories were integrated into the novel, particularly in the beginning where in Lillia’s chapter a lot of names are thrown about and you have to work out who’s who and what relationship they have with the others. Then to find out how Kat and Mary fit in with this little gaggle of the socially elite, was simply wonderful. It was as if the stars had aligned and you knew that these characters were destined for *looks to the stars* great things.

The cliffhanger was exactly what was needed to make me want to read the sequel, and having read the plot line, I’m sure it will be just as good, if not better. I’d heard some mixed reviews about this book, and I think that’s mainly because of the controversial topic of ‘revenge’ and then the subsequent questions of ‘What is right and wrong?’ and ‘Can we really take it upon ourselves to enact justice on those that have done terrible things in the past?’ Overall, this book is wonderful for such philosophical questions, but if you’re not into questioning the meaning of existence or defining rights and wrongs, then it’s the perfect beach read too! Burn for Burn is definitely the kind of thing that I feel in the mood to read when the weather gets a bit warmer, and I want to stay clear of the novels with heavier plots and fantasy worlds.

There is no doubt in my mind that I will continue to read this series, because it was enjoyable, as long as I didn’t think about it in too much detail, and restrained myself from wanting to reach inside the book and punch certain characters in the face.

Review: Teardrop by Lauren Kate

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16070143Teardrop by Lauren Kate
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Published by: Delacorte Books
Pages: 441
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★
Series: Waterfall (#2)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

First of all I should preface this by saying that the premise for this novel is amazing, and I was unaware that this was the first in a series, rather than just a standalone.

Nonetheless, I did find the pacing of the novel to be a little slower than I would have liked. Almost fifty per cent through and the real purpose behind the plotline was still yet to be revealed. Despite this, I still enjoyed the story overall and the last fifteen per cent of the book – which was a rollercoaster of emotions, I can tell you – more than made up for the slow beginning. Although I thought the pacing was slow, the actual timeline of the story was very fast, and I found myself loosing track of days until I spotted a sentence that said ‘it had been two days since” etc., etc. The love story itself may have been a little rushed, or at least it felt that way until it was fully explained at the end. I would have been perfectly happy for Ander and Eureka to remain separated until the next book, because although Ander had been with Eureka for a long time, Eureka didn’t know that, and so her ‘insta-love’ felt perhaps a little too artificial. Generally I liked their romance, despite the fact that it all happened quite quickly, and am looking forward to how it develops throughout the series.

The pain Eureka felt over the death of her mother was executed extremely well, the burden became heavier throughout the story because the protagonist wasn’t really up for sharing. I felt Eureka’s concern over therapy, but without including spoilers, I think I may have agreed with Brooks’ opinions over her stoic-ness.

My favourite parts of the story where the translations of the Book of Love, and when Eureka was underwater; I was captivated by the story and would have liked to know more. As for when Eureka was underwater, Lauren Kate’s description of scenery is wonderful. She described the bayou, and pretty much any location that was mentioned, in such detail it was so easy to imagine any one would be able to draw the scene.

Lauren Kate has a way of gripping her readers just when the time is right, like the last fifteen per cent for example. There were times when I put the book down for a while too long, but when I picked it back up again something amazing would happen and I’d regret that decision to put the book down. Teardrop makes it’s audience feel all of the emotions possible. Okay, well, mostly anger, frustration, heart wrenching sadness and small pockets of joy whenever a scene gets a little too depressing. However, the deaths of certain characters were as blunt as Brooks was at the Halloween Maze party. There was little closure that I felt the reader got, not to mention Eureka herself! All I can say is, that it’s going to be extremely heart breaking to read when all that death and destruction catches up to her.

Overall, I’d give Teardrop three stars, because it was definitely a fun read, but there were some questions that I want answered, but that’s what the next book is for, right?

Review: Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

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Rebel Belle by Rrebel belleachel Hawkins
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Published by: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 345
Format: Hardback
Rating: ★★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I was definitely expecting a lot from this book since, when the book first came out, there was a general opinion that ‘Rebel Belle’ was better than expected and a total favourite. Thank goodness, I couldn’t agree more.

The plot combines two of my favourite things: high society girls that know how to kill a man with blunt objects and teens that gain super powers but have a surprisingly calm reaction to said super powers, so instantly I knew I would not be disappointed.

By the third chapter we’re sucked into a world where Harper, the protagonist of the book that is seen as the all around popular girl both inside and outside of school, has to dodge the evil hands of people that want to kill her. I loved the past pace and how the story moved. The first few chapters reminded me of Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief when he has to fight off demon Miss Dodds and it was just thrilling. (There is no higher comparison than Percy Jackson in my book.)

Harper managed to get her ‘mission’ in the book very quickly and I appreciated the Hawkins didn’t beat around the bush when it came to revealing what Harper and David actually were. There’s nothing I dislike more than being 50 pages through a book with no significant plot movement, but ‘Rebel Belle’ had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

Now, you may not think that proms and puffy dresses is not going to mix well with ninja fighting and knife throwing but, as I learned from ‘The Gallagher Girls’ series, a lady is more than capable when it comes to wearing heels and kicking butt (simultaneously). The balance between girly and, well, bad-ass was perfectly struck that meant the novel could be enjoyed both in battle scenes and in softer romantic scenes.

Although Harper prides herself in being well organized, I think the only problem I had with her was that she didn’t dump her boyfriend soon enough. That seems catty, but after realizing that she no longer felt the same way about him, especially after the entrance of slightly-annoying-but-really-adorable David, it seemed like the most logical thing to do. I get that she wanted to keep a part of her normal life but I think her prolonged decision meant that cute moments with David were sacrificed (and I loved David. This was a great shame.) It got to the point where I wanted to shout at Harper “You love David! David loves you! Just kiss already!” (My wish was granted in Chapter 39)

There was a lot of build up to the Cotillion, an excuse for seventeen year olds to dress up as brides, and I was not disappointed with the final battle of the book that could be best described as unpredictable and threatening, not exactly as Harper planned.

Consistently brilliant with a plot that was well built upon throughout, ‘Rebel Belle’ was a true gem. I seriously cannot wait for a sequel to come out, because Hawkins left the novel in such an intriguing place that it would be impossible to leave Harper, David and Ryan where they were. Also important to note that this is my first hardback since ‘The House of Hades’ and, gosh, am I glad I decided to take the plunge to pay extra for more than just a paperback. ‘Rebel Belle’ now resides among ‘The Gallagher Girls’ series and ‘Anna and the French Kiss’ as one of my favourite books, therefore I just have to give this beautiful book (and it’s beautiful cover) 5 out of 5 stars.

Review: Glitch: Lost in Time Book One by Brenda Pandos

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GlitchGlitch: Lost in Time Book One by Brenda Pandos
Genre: Sci-fi, Romance
Published By: Corgi Children’s
Pages: 300
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

We received this book via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I have to say is that this book was nothing like what I was expecting. When it said ‘zombies’ I was instantly reminded of ‘Warm Bodies’ and was expecting something like that – not the zombie love part, but just the zombies in general. It turned out that the zombies were just a myth told by the government as, you guessed it, a means of control. (Or were they?! Spoilers.)

As readers, we are thrown straight into the action, at a baseball game. A lot of world-explaining goes on within the first chapter that could have been slightly smoother in my opinion, but at least everything was explained so the author could get the plot moving forward. Our main character is Abby, and as main characters go, was quite nice. (High praise.) She is your perfect citizen so finds it slightly difficult, as you can imagine, to adapt to the world that’s been opened to her when she looks beyond the watch on her wrist that tells her when she’s going to die.

Generally, I thought there were quite a lot of concepts to the world; dates of death, zombies, Oracles and time travel to name a few, and this led some of the narrative to sound cluttered, but I enjoyed the fast pace of the first 25% and how the perfect world was destroyed quickly.

When Abby is abducted against her will, as she reminds us multiple times throughout the novel, she meets Kaden. Kaden is the love interest, though he and Abby have only had one conversation, if that, before Abby begins to have feelings for him. There is kind of a love triangle with Kaden and his brother Memphis (brotherly competition) but it’s always obvious that Kaden will come out on top.

Abbey is taken to Kaden’s colony, which is kind of ‘The Host’-esque. She is in inner torment about whether she should stay in the colony or try to return. (At least Melanie and Wanda didn’t have a choice – makes for less inner conflict.) This carried on until Abby decided to return and it took her a further 25% of the book to reach this decision.

Abby plays a big part in the destruction of her world. She is the Oracle, who has the power to time travel but doesn’t know how to use her powers wisely…like any superhero in the beginning. When her Complement, meaning her future self, tells her she has to murder someone, I was instantly confused. Time travel happened, it was very back-and-forth and hard to keep up with. A lot was happening and the pace was fast, so this probably didn’t help me to get to grips with what was going on. But, the book sure as heck ended on a cliff hanger.

Now I need to read the second book, to know how the problems resolve and how the future was affected by Abby’s choices. Something tells me, now that we’ve had the first book to explain the world and set up the plot, the sequel is going to be juicy and jam-packed with stuff (more than this book, if possible.)

I’d recommend this book to anyone that enjoyed ‘Slated by Teri Terry’ as it has a similar premise, and the presence of zombies set this book apart from other dystopian series. Overall, I’d give this book 2 stars, as I did thoroughly enjoy the novel, but did have some problems with the extent of the content.