Review: Need by Carrie Jones

Need by Carrie Jones (review copy) - Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect Facebook friends. It's little wonder, since she's had a fairly rough life. Her father left when she was a baby, her stepfather just died and her mother's almost given up - in fact, she's sent her to live with her grandmother in cold and sleepy Maine to 'keep Zara safe'. Zara doesn't think she's in danger; she thinks her mother just can't cope. Zara's wrong. The man she sees everywhere - the tall, creepy guy who points at her from the side of the road - is not a figment of her imagination. He's a pixie. But not the cute, sweet kind with little wings. Maine's got a whole assortment of unbelievable creatures. And they seem to need something - something from Zara... From Amazon UK

I really liked Need! There’s something really cute about it, despite the storyline, that leaves me with a smile on my face. It has a great protagonist, some great mythology, and has some cool quirkiness to it. However, I was left ever so slightly disappointed.

Positives first. Zara is such a great protagonist, and I was hooked from the first page. She has such a great voice, and even if you can’t relate to her situation, you can relate to her. She’s an every-girl; she has her faults, and she has her quirks, but she is a very passionate girl. It’s great learning about her interest in phobias, and finding out the names of phobias and what they mean as the story goes on. It was a great idea on Carrie’s part to have a relating phobia as the title of each chapter. I found them all really interesting! It was also cool how Zara doesn’t believe in mythical creatures straight away; it seems that there is a lot of novels out there where characters accept the existence of mythical creatures way too easily, but Zara has her doubts throughout the book, and it was just great! I also loved her sense of humour; she is so sarcastic, and her comments and narration made me smile many a time.

I also liked how the story is given to us. It’s not exactly original, but I like the new-girl-to-new-area way of having the readers find out about what’s going on along with the main character. It’s a nice way to meet other characters, and have the story set up bit by bit as it progresses. As I said, it’s not original, but it turns out there is a very good reason for it.

There is also some great mythology – or folklore – too. It was great to read about pixies; I’ve not come across them before in the fae novels I’ve read, but they’re really interesting! I’m no faerie expert, so I can’t say how much of it is right or not, but it was great to learn about these fae specifically. My only criticism is that there wasn’t a lot of answers as to why, not much explanation about the reasons the pixies are as they are, or why they’re doing what they’re doing. The reasons we’re given aren’t explained a huge deal, and so I’m left thinking “why?” a lot of the time. However, there is another book, so perhaps I’ll find the answers there. I would have liked to have seen a bit more page time, but I understand why they didn’t.

Now why I was disappointed; it felt to me like Zara was pretty much the only fully formed character in the novel. There were so many other characters in this book who had so much potential, but just weren’t given enough depth in my opinion. There wasn’t much of a history to them; who were these people before Zara showed up? What do they do for fun? What do they like, what do they dislike? I can’t tell you, other than that Issie – who is just adorable, by the way; she has a bit of personality and I love her – like rabbits, and some of the guys like running. That’s it. We don’t really get much else. It may sound odd, but my imagination creates a visual of a character half based on what they look like as described in the book, and half by who they are. I don’t know why, that’s just how I am. But with Need, a fair amount of the characters are almost always on my imaginative peripheral vision, not fully formed. It spoilt it a little bit for me. I didn’t feel much for these characters, because I didn’t know them. I just hope we get to know them a bit better in the next novel.

I also felt that there was something off with the emotion in the book; there is a lot of it, but I didn’t feel it. I can’t say what it was exactly, I just didn’t connect emotionally with this book as much as I would have liked to; I wasn’t as upset as I could have been when Zara was, or as scared and excited when things got a little rough. I wanted to, it just wasn’t happening.

Despite all this, I still really liked Need! It’s like Twilight meets Wicked Lovely. I loved Zara’s voice and the plot, and was hooked throughout. Some things I guessed, but I like that. I will definitely be reading Captivate in April! I can’t wait to read what happens next!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sending me a review copy.

Published: 1st February in the UK
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Carrie Jones’ Website
Need Website

Other reviews:
The Sweet Bonjour
Chicklish

Continue reading Review: Need by Carrie Jones

In My Mailbox (18)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.

I received a few this week!

For Review:

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

The trouble with being a vampire is...You can't get a decent haircut. You live on guinea-pig blood. And even worse, most of the world's population wants to kill you for no good reason. Nina Harrison became a vampire in 1973, when she was fifteen. Since then, life's been one big drag - mostly because she spends all her time with a bunch of vampires, in a vampire therapy group. Then one of them gets staked by an anonymous vampire slayer, and things become even worse: while tracking down the culprit, Nina and her fellow vampires end up in the middle of an illegal werewolf-fighting racket, and find themselves the target of some genuine villains who'll stop at nothing to get their werewolf back. From Amazon UK

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Dru Anderson: Night Hunter. Knife Wielder. Heart Breaker. Dru can sense evil, which helps when she and her Dad are tracking down ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional reanimated corpse. It's a dangerous life, but it's the only one she knows. Then Dru's dad turns up dead and she suddenly finds herself in the middle of a deadly game where every move she makes could be her last. Dru is more special than she realizes - and whatever killed her dad could be coming for her next. Can Dru stay alive long enough to fall for one - or both - of the guys hungry for her affections? Find out in the heart-stopping first book in a thrilling series. From Amazon UK

Betrayals by Lili St. Crow

The second novel in the Strange Angels series picks up with Dru neatly tucked away in a Schola that's more like a prison than a secret training facility. Except for one tiny detail ...she's the only girl in the place and is totally surrounded by tons of cute boys. But a traitor in the Order wants Dru dead and she can't trust anyone except for Graves. Too bad he's being kept busy with a new crew of wulfen teens and doesn't have time for her. As she learns the truth about who she can and can't trust, Dru's only hope may be to save herself - although the one gift that makes her special is draining away, and she doesn't know how to get it back. Will Dru survive long enough to find out who is really after her? Or is she destined for the same fate as her murdered parents? Lili's characters come alive on the page in a way that's visually stunning and she creates the same terrific pace, danger and teen romance as in Strange Angels. From Amazon UK

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone

Josie, Nicolette and Aviva are three very different girls who all meet the same bad boy with an irresistible knack for getting into their blood and under their skin. Each is sure that she can keep a cool head about him, but how much are they really in control? A critical and word-of-mouth success in the US, this is a compulsive read that opens up the questions about love and sex that every girl needs to know.

Already reviewed this book however, here, for Sex in Teen Lit Month.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell - Image is actually a movie poster, I can’t find the cover, but this is very similar.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was an awesome sword-fighter, a dragon-whisperer and the greatest Viking Hero who ever lived. But it wasn't always like that. In fact, in the beginning, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was the most put upon Viking you'd ever seen. Not loud enough to make himself heard at dinner with his father, Stoick the Vast; not hard enough to beat his chief rival, Snotlout, at Bashyball, the number one school sport and CERTAINLY not stupid enough to go into a cave full of dragons to find a pet... It's time for Hiccup to learn how to be a Hero. From Amazon UK

Happy girl am I! Check out Ink and Paper for more books I received this week.

Continue reading In My Mailbox (18)

Bits and Pieces

A few things to let you know about!

Lindsey Leavitt Guest Post

On Monday 1st February, I'll be posting a guest post from Lindsey Leavitt, author of Princess for Hire. The post will be about her US and UK covers, and it will also include a discussion on pink covers. Lindsey will be stopping by to respond to comments on the discussion, so make sure you're here for that!

Kate Forsyth Blog Tour

Throughout February, Kate Forsyth, author of The Puzzle Ring, is having a book blog tour! Here are the blogs and dates for the tour.

1st Feb - The Bookette - Review
2nd Feb - What Kate Did Next - Guest Post: Juggling Writing and Motherhood
3rd Feb - Chicklish - Guest Post: Five Things You Didn't Know about Kate Forsyth
4th Feb - Once Upon a Bookcase - Guest Post: Why The Puzzle Ring is Set in Scotland
5th Feb - Chicklish - Interview with Kate Forsyth
6th Feb - I Was a Teenage Book Geek - Review of The Puzzle Ring
7th Feb - I Was a Teenage Book Geek - Reviews of Time Travel Books
8th Feb - The Bookette - Guest Post: Photos of Kate Forsyth's Study
9th Feb - Cleverly Inked - Review of The Puzzle Ring
10th Feb - Nayu's Reading Corner - Review of The Puzzle Ring and Kate Forsyth Video
11th Feb - Ejly - Review & Guest Blog
12th Feb - So Many Books, So Little Time - Review of Kate Forsyth's Top YA Novels of 2009
13th Feb - Today's Adventure - Guest Post: Kate Forsyth's Bookshelf
14th Feb - Bookalicious - Review and Interview with Kate Forsyth
15th Feb - The Book Bug - Review and Interview with Kate Forsyth
16th Feb - Alan Baxter: The Word - Review of The Puzzle Ring
17th Feb - I Want to Read That - Review and Interview with Kate Forsyth
18th Feb - The Story Siren - Review and Interview with Kate Forsyth
19th Feb - Wondrous Reads - Review of The Puzzle Ring
20th Feb - ChickLit - Guest Post: Day in the Life of Kate Forsyth
21st Feb - Hey Teenager of the Year - Review and Interview with Kate Forsyth
22nd Feb - Me & My Big Mouth - Interview with Kate Forsyth
As you can see, on 4th Feb, I'll be posting a guest post from Kate Forsyth, so stop by for that. I'll also be reviewing The Puzzle Ring, hopefully sometime in February.

Beautiful Creatures Sample Chapters

Like the sound of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, but not sure if it's entirely you're thing? Luck for you, sample chapters are now available!

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Also there's a Spinebreakers Literary Lovers Poll to celebrate publication of Beautiful Creatures, the hottest new love story of the year. Spinebreakers want you to vote for the most romantic literary couple ever. Is it the classic story of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet or the obsessive love between Bella and Edward?

Terms and Conditions
1. No purchase necessary to vote in the poll.
2. This poll is open to UK residents aged 13-18 years.
3. Entries must be received by 23.55 on 12th February 2010.
4. Only one entry per person

UK Book Bloggers Meet Up

Finally, thanks to Becky of The Bookette, I found out today there is a proposal for a meet up of UK book bloggers! It's still in the early stages, so there's only a rough date, but I think it's a great idea! As long as I can make it, I'll be going if other bloggers I know are going. Apparently Becky will be going, if, like me, she knows other people who are going, as Carolyn of Book Chick City is keen too. Check out the link above, email Simon, and lets see if we can make this happen! :)

Continue reading Bits and Pieces

Review: Suspicion by Kate Brian (#Ad)

Suspicion by Kate Brian

I was sent this review copy for free by Simon & Schuster Children's Books for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Reed Brennan thought that a winter break in the islands with some of the Billings Girls, old and new, was just what she needed to recover from her traumatic last term at Easton. At first everything is perfect; relaxing, fun and elegant. But then things take a more sinister turn and suddenly Reed finds herself in danger once more. If Reed wants to survive her fateful vacation she must discover who is after her and why, before it's too late. From Amazon UK

Continue reading Review: Suspicion by Kate Brian (#Ad)

Review: Everwild by Neal Shusterman

Everwild by Neal Shusterman - WARNING! I cannot review Everwild without spoiling the first book in the series. If you plan on reading Everlost, don’t read any further if you don’t want to be spoiled.

There was the rumor of a beautiful sky witch, who soared across the heavens in a great silver balloon. And there were whispers of a terrible ogre made entirely of chocolate, who lured unsuspecting souls with that rich promising smell, only to cast them down a bottomless pit from which there was no return. Everlost, the limbo land of dead children, is at war. Nick the "Chocolate Ogre" wants to help the children of Everlost reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Mary Hightower, self-proclaimed queen of lost children and dangerous fanatic, is determined to keep Everlost's children trapped within its limbo for all eternity. Traveling in the memory of the Hindenburg, Mary is spreading her propaganda and attracting Afterlights to her cause at a frightening speed. Meanwhile, Allie the Outcast travels home to seek out her parents, along with Mikey, who was once the terrifying monster the McGill. Allie is tempted by the seductive thrill of skinjacking the living, until she learns a shocking secret. From Borders US.

Before I get into this review, I need to talk about the summary. The one above from Borders is the best in giving the most summarising info, but every summary I found included one line that is also on the back of the book; one line that made it so obvious what was going to happen for one of the characters, that I worked it out before I even opened the book. Does it not annoy you when summaries/blurbs give away too much information? It drives me mad! So for the sake of those who haven’t read the book yet, I removed the line from the summary. I recommend that you try and roughly remember this summary or just that you like the sound it, and don’t read the summaries on online bookstores or on the book when you buy it.

But now to the actual story! I loved it! I cannot tell you just how mind blowing the plot of Everwild is! Despite the obvious detail in the blurb, there were so many things that happened in this book that would literally have me gawping at the book. Everwild is written in the same style as Everlost, which I can only describe as sweet, so there is nothing graphic or too violent that actually happens in the book, which I think just makes these bombshells even more surprising!

There were moments in this book when I was close to tears, there were moments when I was so disturbed and disgusted I didn’t want to read anymore – but couldn’t put the book down at the same time. We find out more about Everlost, about skinjackers and ecto-rippers, and we see the characters we followed in Everlost evolve in surprising ways. I said in my review of Everlost that it was really unique in its world building; the world building didn’t stop with that book, it continues in Everwild, and there’s so much more to discover and be in awe of. It’s just fantastic.

There’s nothing I can really add about the great characters I mentioned in the last review than to say is that they get better in this book. We still have Nick, Allie, and Micky, and they’re great! Mary, however, is a whole different ball game. I said she was quite twisted and disturbing in my review of Everlost, but in Everwild, she goes above and beyond. She is just evil, there is no other word for it. She’s evil, and scary in her disturbing ways – and what’s even worse, she truly thinks she’s doing the right thing, and is as sickly sweet as ever. She’s actually lovely. It’s disgusting!

We meet some new characters along the way, too, and re-meet some older secondary characters who become more important. We re-meet Johnnie-O, Choo-Choo-Charlie, and Speedo, and I absolutely love Johnnie-O! He is just so funny! He’s great! The new characters we meet include a group of skinjackers; Milos, Squirrel and Moose. Milos is almost as disturbing as Mary, and will do anything for what he believes is love, and Squirrel and Moose take his lead. We also meet Zin, a ripper with the coolest way of speaking ever! I love her too, and I so hope we get to see her in the next book! And then there’s Jackin’ Jill, another skinjacker who starts the clogs turning in Mary’s mind for more sinister plots and schemes.

I love this series, and I was so completely wowed by the ending, that I don’t know how I’m going to wait until next year to read the next in the series, whenever it comes out. If you haven’t read this series, you really need to start!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a review copy.

Published: 4th February 2010 in the UK (though can be bought on Amazon now)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Neal Shusterman’s Website

My review of Everlost

Continue reading Review: Everwild by Neal Shusterman

Possible Future Month Long Feature - What are Your Suggestions?

As some of you will know, last year I held Sex in Teen Lit Month, in which I reviewed YA novels which focussed on Sex, interviewed several authors, held discussions, and had some guest bloggers. For those who didn't see it the first time around, just click the link above.

I have had a fair few people ask me if I'm going to be doing something similar this year. The answer to that is, I don't know. I'm going to be a lot busier this year than last year, so I would have to have a few other people involved if it was to go ahead - which was also requested by some in my feedback survey.

The only thing is, I don't know what to focus on. I want it to be something serious and important, but I'm not really a big fan of morbid stories, so I don't think I could take a whole month of self-harming, for instance. I don't mind reading such books, but I think a month of just those books would put me in the worst of moods for too long.

So I thought I would open it up to your suggestions. If you can think of a serious and important theme for teens that isn't too hard going, and know of some books that cover it, please suggest it! I thought I'd give it a few days for suggestions, then create a poll of the ones that interest me, and see what is most popular. How does this sound?

Before you get suggesting, for anyone who is thinking about suggestion religion, hold up one second. As I've said in various posts before, I'm very interested in other people's religions, however, I am completely not a fan of being preached to. I don't mind reading YA fiction that discusses religion, but if there is some hidden moral voice trying to tell me what I should believe, I get annoyed. And I can only think of one book that doesn't do this; Are You There God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume. If you know your book suggestions are preachy, please don't recommend them to me, thanks. Sorry if I sound harsh, it's just my personal preferance.

So any suggestions? Please fill in this form! And if you'd be interested in taking part, depending on the topic (don't worry, I won't force you to take part if the subject isn't something you're interested in) please mention it in the form! Cheers!

It's not definite that this will happen, just so you're aware, it's just to see if there's interest.

Continue reading Possible Future Month Long Feature - What are Your Suggestions?

Award Time!

The lovely ladies of two blogs have given me an award! Sarah of Sarah's Book Reviews and
La Coccinelle of The Ladybug Reads have both awarded me with the Over the Top award! Thank you ladies!




Rules for this award: Answer each question with a one word answer and then pass along to five other bloggers.

(1) Your Cell Phone? Cracked
(2) Your Hair? Kinky
(3) Your Mother? Beautiful
(4) Your Father? A big kid (I know, that's 3, nevermind)
(5) Your Favorite Food? Steak
(6) Your Dream Last Night? Bus
(7) Your Favorite Drink? Diet Coke
(8) Your Dream/Goal? Publishing
(9) What Room Are You In? Front room
(10) Your Hobby? Reading
(11) Your Fear? Spiders
(12) Where Do You Want To Be In Six Years? I don't know. Who, I could answer.
(13) Where Were You Last Night? Home
(14) Something That You Aren't? A "grown up"
(15) Muffins? No thanks
(16) Wish List Item? Jewellery
(17) Where Did You Grow Up? London
(18) Last Thing You Did? Watched TV
(19) What Are You Wearing? Cardigan
(20) Your TV? Wide screen
(21) Your Pets? None
(22) Friends? Elsewhere
(23) Your Life? Cool
(24) Your Mood? Content
(25) Missing Someone? Friends
(26) Vehicle? Public transport
(27) Something You Aren't Wearing? Fancy dress
(28) Your Favorite Store? Matalan
(29) Your Favorite Color? Black/Purple/Silver
(30) When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Earlier
(31) Last Time You Cried? Earlier
(32) Your Best Friend? Three
(33) One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Family
(34) Facebook? Here
(35) Favorite Place To Eat? The Venus

Ok, so I am going to pass this on to:

Sasha of The Sweet Bonjour
Kay of The Infinite Shelf
Charlotte of The Book on the Hill
The Mundie Moms
Sophie of So Many Books, So Little Time

Congrats to you all!

Continue reading Award Time!

In My Mailbox (17)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.



For Review:

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

She doesn't see dead people, but…
She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next… From Amazon US

One of the perks of work experience with S&S UK:

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created "perfect" life is about to unravel before her eyes. Forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, Brittany finds herself having to protect everything she's worked so hard for - her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend and, most importantly, the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But the closer Alex and Brittany get to each other the more they realise that sometimes appearances can be deceptive and that you have to look beneath the surface to discover the truth. From Amazon UK

Fade by Lisa McMann - US version

SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END.

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....From Fantastic Fiction

Skinned by Robin Wasserman

Lia Kahn is beautiful, popular and destined for success...until the horrific accident that nearly kills her. Lia wakes up in a body that is not a body. It's a machine, designed to look and feel human, and her memories have been 'downloaded'. Lia will never age. She need never feel pain again. And, as long as she is vigilant about backing up her memories, she need never die. Struggling to come to terms with what has happened, Lia tries to return to her own life. But nothing is the same...She's one of the "mechanicals" or "mechs" now. Her friends and boyfriend turn their backs on her, shutting her out. Even her own family can't seem to understand that underneath it all, she's still the same person. Or is she? Drawn to a seemingly reckless circle of "mechs", Lia starts to see the limitless options of her new "body" - after all, there isn't anything they can't do! But there are some who would like to see the new technology vanish, and these strange mechanical beings along with it. Can you really be human without a body? And is it technically murder to "kill" a machine...? In the tradition of Scott Westerfeld comes a riveting and edgy science fiction novel which raises questions of mortality, technology and morality. From Amazon UK

Shade by Jerry Smith-Ready

Like everyone born after The Shift, sixteen year-old Aura can see and talk to ghosts. Persistent, and often angry, some even on the verge of becoming Shades, these violet-hued spirits are constantly talking to her, following her, and demanding her help to make amends for their untimely deaths. Aura has always found this mysterious ability annoying and wished she could find a way to reverse it. She'd much rather the ghosts left her alone so she could spend time with her boyfriend, Logan. But when Logan dies suddenly and unexpectedly, Aura is forced to reconsider her connections with the dead...and, the living. Surely a violet-hued spirit Logan is better than no Logan at all, isn't it? And things are complicated further when new exchange student, Zachary, is paired with Aura for a class project researching the 'Shift phenomenon'. Zach is so understanding - and so very alive. His support and friendship means more to Aura than she cares to admit. And, as Aura's relationships with both the dead, and the living, become more complicated, so do her feelings for both Logon and Zach. Each holds a piece of her heart...and clues to the secret of the shift. From Amazon UK

Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Hanover Falls hasn't had a werewolf problem in over one hundred years. But when people suddenly start dying in Claire Benoit's town, panic spreads fast. At Claire's sixteenth birthday party, the gruesome killings are all anyone can talk about. Claire, however, is more interested in the fact that the gorgeous Matthew Engle keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf. As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever... From Amazon UK

Morpheus Road by D. J. MacHale - no image available yet.

#1 NYT bestselling author D.J. MacHale's Morpheus Road trilogy brings readers down an ethereal pathway between the worlds of the living and dead. From Amazon US

Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer

An encounter with an anti-gravity machine catapults Peter Schock and Kate Dyer back to the 18th century and sets in motion a calamitous chain of events. While a massive police hunt gets underway to find the missing children in the 21st century - in 1763 a hardened criminal, the Tar Man, steals the anti-gravity machine and disappears into the London underworld. Stranded in another time and forced to chase the Tar Man to his lair, Peter and Kate find a friend and guide in reformed cutpurse, Gideon Seymour. Gideon does every thing he can to help them, but will his dark past catch up with him before the machine is recovered? From Amazon UK

Six Steps to a Girl by Sophie McKenzie

Luke spots Eve at his dad's funeral. She's hot - and she's the perfect distraction from his messed up family life. There's only one problem - she's got a boyfriend. Still, Luke's not going to give up that easily...When he meets Ryan at a party and hears about 'the Six Steps method' to guarantee success with any girl, Luke determines to put it to the test. Step by step, he begins to get closer to Eve - but one step forward seems to mean two steps back, and when he's hospitalised by the jealous boyfriend, he wonders if any girl - even one as gorgeous as Eve - is really worth it... From Amazon UK

The 13 Curses by Michelle Harrison

The Thirteen Treasures have become the Thirteen Curses. When fairies stole her brother, Red vowed to get him back. Now trapped in the fairy realm, she begs an audience with the fairy court where she strikes a bargain. Her brother will be returned - but only if she can find the thirteen charms of Tanya's bracelet that have been scattered in the human world. Returning to Elvesden Manor, Red is assisted by Tanya and Fabian and a desperate hunt begins. Soon they make a shocking discovery. The charms now have twisted qualities of the thirteen treasures they represent...and the longer they are missing the worse the consequences will be. Can Red, Tanya and Fabian find all the charms? And even if they do, will the fairies keep their promise? From Amazon UK

The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer - I have the UK cover, but can’t find a good quality image of it.

Jack is an apprentice bard and just beginning to learn the secrets of his mysterious master, when he and his little sister are captured by Viking chief, Olaf One-Brow, and taken to the court of Ivar the Boneless. Ivar is married to a half-troll named Frith, an evil and unpredictable queen with a strange power over her husband's court. Jack is sent on to the kingdom of the trolls, where he has to find the magical well and undo the charm he has cast on Frith. He is accompanied by Thorgill, a shield maiden, aged 12, who wants to be a berserker when she grows up. Together, they are set for a magical and exciting adventure. From Amazon UK

The Land of the Silver Apples by Nancy Farmer - I have the UK cover, but can’t find a good quality image of it.

In trying to save his sister Lucy from being thrown down a well, Jack has managed to cause an earthquake which demolishes a monastery. It appears that sometimes, the magic just doesn't quite work out...but then he is, after all, only a bard-in-training! So when Lucy is unceremoniously carried off by the Lady of the Lake, Jack gives chase and follows her through the Hollow Road which lies underground. Aided by his friend, Thorgil, the berserker, and slave girl, Pega, Jack uncovers an unexpected world of hidden caves, hobgoblins, kelpies and elves - not the enchanted sprites one would expect, but fallen angels who steal human children and torment them...could this be the fate of his sister? Underground, Jack discovers that his actions will determine the fate of both worlds... From Amazon UK

The Islands of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer - I have the UK cover, but can’t find a good quality image of it.

In the final adventure of Nancy Farmer's acclaimed trilogy a malevolent spirit of a vengeful mermaid is wreaking havoc on Jack's village and it's up to him, the old Bard and Thorgril to confront and vanquish the restless draugr. But the task will not be easy and the three find themselves travelling once more with Thorgil's northman brother and his crew into the most dangerous of waters. Their quest to right old wrongs leads them from a village plagued by a hogboon to the fin folk land of Notland and via every danger in-between. Can they escape the perils they face and return in time to help undead spirit to find peace? From Amazon UK

The Medusa Project: The Set-Up by Sophie McKenzie

Fourteen years ago, scientist William Fox implanted four babies with the Medusa gene - a gene for psychic abilities. But Fox died and the babies were hidden away for years. Now the children are teenagers - and unaware that their psychic powers are about to kick in. Cocky, charismatic Nico thinks his emerging telekinetic abilities will bring him money, power and the girl of his dreams. He's about to find out just how wrong he is... From Amazon UK

The Medusa Project: The Hostage by Sophie McKenzie

Fourteen years ago, four babies were implanted with the Medusa gene - a gene for psychic abilities. Now teenagers, Nico, Ketty, Ed and Dylan have been brought together by government agents to create a secret crime-fighting force - The Medusa Project. But now Ketty's brother Lex has stumbled into a dangerous game involving his boss and a hidden bomb. It's up to Ketty to save him without letting on what she knows to the rest of the team. But can she control her psychic visions, and her feelings for Nico, without getting the team's cover - and herself - blown sky high? From Amazon UK

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Do twins begin in the womb?
Or in a better place?

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughters of a district-court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all-American family -- on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that's where their differences begin.

For Kaeleigh, she's the misplaced focus of Daddy's love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites -- and she is losing. If she has to lose, she will do it on her own terms, so she chooses drugs, alcohol, and sex.

Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept -- from each other or anyone else. Pretty soon it's obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, and one sister must step up to save the other, but the question is -- who? From Amazon US

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together through desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing all the while that their lives are hanging in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthdays, they can't be harmed. But when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away...Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life - not just where it begins and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive. From Amazon UK

I am an EXTREMELY happy girl! The lovely ladies at S&S UK are just so awesome! :D

Continue reading In My Mailbox (17)

200 Followers Contest Winners!

The winners of my 200 Followers contest have now been chosen! Thank you to everyone who entered - in total, there were 125 entrants! Randomizer has done it's thing, and the winners, with their prize, are:

Angela Donner - Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Jessy Blair - Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
Caitlin Russtemeyer - Fallen by Lauren Kate
Ka-Yam Chui - Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings

Congrats to you all! Angela, I don't have your email, so hopefully you'll see this blog post. If not, you'll have a nice surprise turning up at some point. Everyone else will be emailed. I will get the books sent out to you all as soon as I can!

Thanks again to everyone who entered!

Continue reading 200 Followers Contest Winners!

Work Experience with Simon & Schuster UK

For a while now, it has been my dream to work in publishing. I have been applying for work placements and internships at various publishers, but haven't got anywhere, so I decided to try using my contacts, and emailed Simon & Schuster UK - and got a placement for this week! You have no idea how excited I have been about this placement! I'm so thrilled, and I feel so lucky! The guys at S&S UK have no idea how much I appreciate this placement!

I started the placement with the Children's Marketing and Publicity department yesterday, and most of my work is admin based, but it's great! It's so cool to be able to watch the people - mainly in the department I'm working in - on the publishing side of things go about their work, it's so interesting!

So here's what I have been doing over the last two days. Yesterday:

• Photocopied several copies of a Vampirates manuscript.
• Bound said manuscripts using binding machine.
• Stamp a fair amount of bags and filled 21 with Sophie McKenzie promotional material.
• Filled and addressed 39 envelopes with 137 competition prizes (A Mummy for Owen/Spiderwick Chronicles/The Time Quake).

Today:

• Photocopied and filed press cuttings.
• Saved extract quotes in a doc from cuttings for future use.
• Coded 400 The Medusa Project postcards.
• Created six showcards for The Medusa Project event on xyron machine.
• Filled and addressed four envelopes with the postcards and showcards for four different locations.
• Filled and addressed three envelopes with 24 competition prizes (Spiderwick Chronicles).
• Filled and addressed four envelopes with new promotional bookmarks to authors.

I may not have been doing the most amazing jobs, but I've enjoyed it! The Children's Marketing and Publicity department is only three people strong, so I'm doing what they would have to do themselves. What's unbelievable is is that thes publicists are so busy, yet I've also been busy; I can't imagine what their day is like having to do what they have been doing, PLUS what I've been doing. Seriously, I have had something to do all day, on both days; they're not having to find tasks for me to do to help me out, they're giving me their own tasks to help me out, and lighten their own workloads. These people work so hard!

It's been really good so far! I've enjoyed meeting everyone, and the experience of working in the publishing environment. I'll edit this post over the next few days with what I do next.

UPDATE - 20/01/10:

You know, I came to a realisation yesterday; while I'm working there, I now have a S&S log in for a computer, and I get emailed by Kat with addresses, etc for the work I do, and it occurred to me that I now have - though temporarily - a Simon & Schuster email address! I got all excited when I realised it! Haha. Here's a list of things I did today:

• Sent the press cuttings from yesterday to authors and agents.
• Sent certificates to the new members of the Beastly Boys website, with promo materials.
• Sent a lot of Beastly Boys promo material to a school librarian who requested some.
• Created three showcards for a Neal Shusterman event next week.
• Went out to buy some place cards for the Shusterman event, and then named them.
• Photocopied another Vampirates manuscript, bound it, and sent it on.
• Photocopied press cuttings for Vampirates: Black Heart for Justin Somper for appointment tomorrow.
• Emailed competition winners, and arranged address labels.

Another cool day! It was quite cool when I had a list of tasks to complete, and was able to do it as I knew where to find things and how to use certain software, so points 3 - 5 I was able to just get on with without asking Kat anything once I got started. It was great to be able to know I could do it and get on with it, to have the confidence to do it, even though it was nothing major in the great scheme of things. It was a good day! :) Another update will come tomorrow.

UPDATE - 21/01/10:

Another brilliant day at S&S UK today! I was fortunate enough to be allowed to sit in on the Children's Publishing Meeting this morning, and it was so interesting! I didn't understand most of it, but it was great to learn a little more about what is involved in getting just one book on the shelves in the bookshops. Rights, Design, Editorial, Marketing, etc, all teaming together to discuss what they think as a whole is the way to go about things for a book. It was just so great! Here's a list of what I did today:

• Printed 24 posters - 12 each of Malcolm Rose's Hurricane Force and The Death Gene - and sent them to 12 libraries for a Malcolm Rose tour.
• Sent around 13 stock teen posters to a school library.
• Sent 5 bundles of various stock bookmarks to a (different) school library.
• Sent out the 60 prizes to the Facebook group winners, who I emailed and sorted labels out for yesterday.
• Created press releases for Scandal by Kate Brian, Stunt Bunny: A Showbiz Sensation by Tamsyn Murray, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (paperback version), Hush, Hush by Becca Fiztpatrick (paperback version), The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan, and The Medusa Project: The Rescue by Sophie McKenzie.

So at some point in the future, the S&S UK reviewers may receive a book with a press release that I put together! I asked Children's Marketing & Publicity team some general advice questions about getting into publicity, what I can do to help myself, and was told to keep going with my blog, get as much work experience as I can, and be pushy/bold about it. I also asked about whether the London Book Fair would be a good idea, and it would be, just to see how many publishers there are out there, big and small, and to pick up catalogues from them to see what kind of books they publish. I also found out that a Proof Reading and Copy Editing course that I had seen advertised isn't as well known as it claims to be, and was advised to try another one instead, by someone from the Children's Editorial department. Aaaand, you are now reading the blog of a Simon & Schuster UK Children's Marketing & Publicity volunteer! I'll be going in one day a week from now on, doing things like I have been doing over the last few days, and I am SO chuffed! It's going to look good on my CV, an it'll be really helpful to them too to have someone coming in fairly regularly to do some of the marketing/publicity admin. I was also told today that I've done brilliantly over the past week, and I've been a great help to them all, which is just so cool! I am a happy, happy girl! I'll give the final update tomorrow! :)

UPDATE 22/01/10:

Today was a pretty good day, though busier than the others. As it was my final day of work experience, I decided to say thank you with a box of chocolates, though only one of the team were in today. And funnily enough, I was bought a box of chocolates to say cheers to me too! We swapped chocolates :) Here's a list of what I did today:

• Sent booksmark and postcards to someone for three sixth form colleges.
• Made two showcards, and printed five posters and sent them, along with two bundles of bookmarks, for a Sarah Singleton event at a school.
• Sent Hush, Hush competition prizes to 30 people.
• Sent Sophie McKenzie bookmarks to a school for World Book Day.
• Sent 1,000 Sophie McKenzie bookmarks, 500 SM postcards, and 20 copies of reading notes, and 500 Justin Somper bookmarks to a WHSmith branch for World Book Day.
• Photocopied 12 copies of a Vampirates manuscript (same one as before), and sent six copies to reviewers, one with a copy of Black Heart, and another with the full series.
• Sent press releases of the book to the reviewers from last point once they were ready to go.
• Sent picture books to a reviewer.
• Sent Justin Somper promo matierial to a library for a four school event.
• Sent some review copies to a certain book reviewer I chat to fairly often ;)

Busy busy! But it was pretty cool to chat generally about books, whether or not certain books were enjoyed, etc. Was great! Organised what day I'll be going in for my voluntary work, which will be Fridays. Also, I forgot to say yesterday that I saw two authors! Justin Somper came in for a meeting, and I saw him on his way out, and I had to help make tea and coffee for a meeting with Cathy Hopkins! Pretty cool, eh? Well, I think so. I ended the day by writing an email to all three of the people I was working with, to say thank you for eerything they'd done and for giving me a chance.

So that's the end of my work experience, but the beginning of my voluntary work! It's been absolutely brilliant, and I'm really looking forward to continuing working there.

Continue reading Work Experience with Simon & Schuster UK

Review: Everlost by Neal Shusterman

Everlost by Neal Shusterman (review copy) - Nick and Allie don't survive the crash, and now they are in limbo, stuck halfway between life and death, in a netherworld known as Everlost. Everlost is home to those who didn't make it to their final destination: A magical yet dangerous place filled with shadows where lost souls run wild. Shocked and frightened, Nick and Allie aren't ready to rest in peace just yet. They want their lives back. Desperate for a way out, their search takes them deep into the uncharted regions of Everlost. But the longer they stay, the more they forget about their past lives. And with all memory of home fading fast and an unknown evil lurking in the shadows, Nick and Allie may never escape this strange, terrible world. In this imaginative, supernatural thriller, Neal Shusterman explores questions of life, death, and what just might lie in between. From Amazon UK

I really liked Everlost! This book is just so good, I can’t tell you! It takes a very unique view of what happens to us when we die, and oh, it was just amazing!

A lot of thought has gone into this book; a lot of urban fantasies I’ve read lately have been based around some sort of myth, but as far as I can tell, Everlost has been completely made up, and the world building is just brilliant! The rules of the world, the way this new world effects some people, the “magic” of the world; with each page turned, there’s something to be amazed by, but it’s not so farfetched as to not be believable. As I was reading, it just seemed that this place between life and death could actually exist, but I couldn’t tell you if this is a place I’d want to go to or not.

I really loved the cultural and historic references in this book. As well as people making their way to Everlost, objects and buildings can make their way there, too, for various reasons. One of the main settings in Everlost are the Twin Towers, and it plays an important part in the story as what it stands for, for certain characters. The Twin Towers aren’t the only “things” to have come to Everlost that a reader will recognise either from their own life, or as from historical events. It’s just superb how Neal has interwoven real real life into his story; it does that little bit more to make Everlost believable.

There are some really great characters in this story! Everlost is a multiple point of view story, and so we get to understand on a certain level all five of the main characters; Nick, Allie, Lief, Mary and the McGill. Nick is a little deluded by Mary, but through some of the events that happen in the book, he becomes a really strong and powerful character. Allie is stubborn and in denial at first, but she’s smart, and she sees things – and people – for what they really are; Lief is such a lovely boy! I really wanted to give him a hug so many times; he’s sweet and kind, and his own version of brave. Mary is hard to figure out exactly, she has her heart in the right place in some ways, but she’s also kind of selfish in others – I actually think she’s quite twisted and disturbing. The McGill I can’t really get into, but I’ll tell you he’s complicated. Together, they all make for interesting reading!

The action in the novel isn’t action as I normally use the word, it’s more a series of events that move the story forward; if one event didn’t happen, the ones that followed wouldn’t either. Suspense and wonder run throughout the novel, and you can’t help but keep reading! Everlost is a real page turner!

If I was to criticise anything in the book, it would be Mary and Nick’s relationship. No, not their relationship exactly, more how they’re in love with each other. In my opinion, not enough happens between them for them to be in love; they fancy each other, yes, perhaps are even infatuated with each other, but it doesn’t feel like love to me. There isn’t enough development in their relationship for love, but that’s just my opinion.

All in all, Everlost is a fantastic book, and I implore you all to give it a go! Next on my reading list is Everwild, the sequel, which is released on 4th February, and I can’t wait to pick it up! Really, this is such an awesome book, you must read it!

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for sending me a review copy.

Published: 6th July 2009
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Neal Shusterman’s Website

Other reviews:
The Bookette

Continue reading Review: Everlost by Neal Shusterman

Recommendations for Teenage Flicks Book Club Members

The lovely Luisa Plaja is, as well as author of Split by a Kiss, Extreme Kissing, and soon to be released Swapped by a Kiss (April 2010), an assistant of a teen book club, Teenage Flicks in Newton Abbot, in Devon. Well, Luisa is recommending various YA sites to the member today, and because she is so lovely, my blog happens to be one of them!

Hello to all Teenage Flicks members, and welcome to Once Upon a Bookcase! I thought, seeing as you'll be popping over today, that I would give you a few recommendations of books I've read that you might like! So here they are, a bit of a range...

Prophecy of the Sistser by Michelle Zink - This is the story of sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe's quest to discover her role and her twin sister's in a powerful prophecy that has affected twin sisters for generations. But nothing can prepare her for what she discovers. A brilliant historical fantasy. My review.

Good Girls by Laura Ruby - Audrey is a good girl; but when someone takes a photo of her with Luke DeSalvio, the hottest guy at school, doing somehtin not so "good", her life gets turned upside down. A brilliant, funny, and honest look at humiliation and a first sexual relationship. Note: It's a little graphic. My review.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Lissa is a Moroi, mortal vampire, princess, and her best friend Rose is a Dhampir, half-vampire, half-human, and Lissa's protector. Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vlandimir's - but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. Rose and Lissa must navigate through the dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever. An exciting and action packed vampire paranormal! My review.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - When Patch turns up at school, Nora can't believe how rude and arrogant he is, yet can't help but find herself attracted to him. Then a series of unexplained events take place, which lead Nora to suspect Patch. Nora is determined to find out, but the answers could be more than she bargained for. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this thrilling, sexy paranormal! My review.

I'm aware there is at least one boy in the book club, and so the following recommendations are with you in mind, though girls should like them too (I did!):

Doing It by Melvin Burgess - Doing It follows three friends, Dino, Jonathan and Ben, and thier experiences with sex for the first time. It's a hilarious, but very honest look into what goes on in boys heads regarding the opposite sex. Note: It is a bit on the graphic side. My review.

When I Was Joe by Keren David - Ty is a teenager who is a witness to murder, and after threats to his family, he's put into the Witness Protection program. This book is a great eye opener into the realities of knife crime, with great insight to what the Witness Protection program involves. Great action and emotion! My review.

Slam by Nick Hornby - Sam's life is just starting to go the way he'd like - until one tiny slip up changes everything Sam knows. His girlfriend falls pregnant, and this kid has to face adult responsibilities, but is he up to it? A brilliant book with great look at the male perspective of teenage pregnancy. My review.

Monster Republic: The Divinity Project by Ben Horton - An explosion in a nuclear power plant. Kids patched up with scavenged body parts and bionic implants. A growing army of superhuman soldiers programmed for destruction. Monster Republic is awesome thrill-per-mintute! Chock full of action and danger, fans of the Terminator and X-Men movies will love it! My review. Also, check out this fantastic book trailer.

Hope some of the books are your cup of tea, and that you check them out! If not, I may review a few books in future you might like, so check back! ;)

Continue reading Recommendations for Teenage Flicks Book Club Members

In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.

I got a fair few today!

For Review:

Need by Carrie Jones

Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect Facebook friends. It’s little wonder, since she’s had a fairly rough life. Her father left when she was a baby, her stepfather just died and her mother’s almost given up – in fact, she’s sent her to live with her grandmother in cold and sleepy Maine to ‘keep Zara safe’. Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother just can’t cope.

Zara’s wrong. The man she sees everywhere – the tall, creepy guy who points at her from the side of the road – is not a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie. But not the cute, sweet kind with little wings. Maine’s got a whole assortment of unbelievable creatures. And they seem to need something – something from Zara. From Bloomsbury.com

My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey

The Blakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer. From Amazon UK

No and Me by Delphine de Vigan (adult cover rather than the YA – I can’t find YA cover)

Lou Bertignac has an IQ of 160 and a good friend in class rebel Lucas. At home her father puts a brave face on things but cries in secret in the bathroom, while her mother rarely speaks and hardly ever leaves the house. To escape this desolate world, Lou goes often to Gare d'Austerlitz to see the big emotions in the smiles and tears of arrival and departure. But there she also sees the homeless, meets a girl called No, only a few years older than herself, and decides to make homelessness the topic of her class presentation. Bit by bit, Lou and No become friends until, the project over, No disappears. Heartbroken, Lou asks her parents the unaskable question and her parents say: Yes, No can come to live with them. So Lou goes down into the underworld of Paris's street people to bring her friend up to the light of a home and family life, she thinks. From Amazon UK

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril. From Amazon UK

Drawing with Light by Julia Green

Kat and Emily have grown up without their mother for almost as long as they can remember. And now Dad is with Cassy and they all muddle along together well enough - even though they are living in a cramped caravan while their new house is being renovated. Then Cassy and Dad tell them that Cassy is pregnant, and everything seems to shift. Emily feels a new urge to find her own mother. How could she have left them the way she did? Never writing to them? Not communicating with them? And as Emily begins her search, not knowing what she will find, she is at the same time embarking on a new relationship of her own, that of her romance with Seb. This is an evocative and finely drawn novel about family relationships, in particular that of mother and daughter, and the shifting emotions of a teenager trying to make sense of her family and her world. From Amazon UK

The Puzzle Ring by Kate Forsyth

Hannah Rose Brown is twelve years old when she finds out that her family is cursed. Desperate to find the truth about her father's disappearance, she travels to her ancestral home in Scotland, and discover a chain of dark secrets that plunge her into different worlds, timeframes and dangers... Another magical historical novel from the author of THE GYPSY CROWN From Amazon UK

ETA: I was determined not to buy any books today, but I caved. The first needed to be bought as the author, Anthony McGowan, was my teacher in my Writing for Children class, and I bought Sweet as I've already reviewed Sugar Rush.

Hellbent by Anthony McGowan

Sent to Hell for typical teenage misdemeanours, Conor is surprised to find that it's not all pitchforks and leaping flames. But an eternity in a fusty cave full of philosophy books and obscure classical music is actually worse. Then Conor realizes that his personal version of Hell might be someone else's idea of Heaven - and vice versa. He sets out on a filthy, funny and forbidden journey to search for his opposite number, accompanied by his repulsive pet dog, a depressed cross-dressing Viking and a stumpy devil called Clarence. What he sees is disgusting and what he discovers is shocking, but oddly enough Conor learns a hell of a lot about life - now that he's dead!

Sweet by Julia Burchill

‘Some people tread water all their lives. Not me – I’m gonna make a big splash.'

Maria Sweet, aka Sugar, is back. Her husband's done a runner taking their daughter with him, but at least she has a plan: get a job, get some cash and get the hell out of Brighton. And somewhere out there in the big bad world is Kim Lewis, who might just be the Love of Sugar’s Life. Sugar’s landed herself a stint as a model for local fashion designers Agnew & Bagshawe. But when she discovers they’ve exploited her,she’s hell-bent on vengeance and that can only lead to chaos . . .

Sugar is as defiant and outrageous as ever in this riotous sequel to SUGAR RUSH, Burchill’s bestselling teen novel.

Won:

I won some The Book Finder Swag from The Sweet Bonjour.

I'm a fairly happy girl! So excited to read some of these!

Continue reading In My Mailbox (16)

News: Sourcebook's New Teen Imprint

Check out this awesom YA imprint news from Sourcebooks:

I wanted to announce the launch of a new Young Adult imprint from Sourcebooks! In 2010, Sourcebooks Fire will be releasing its first season of YA titles and we wanted to invite everyone to be part of the process.

If you visit our new website (http://teenfire.sourcebooks.com/), you’ll also be able to preview the first few chapters of ALL of our books. Additionally, you can start groups, post comments, upload videos and interact not only with other YA readers, but with Sourcebooks authors who will also have a presence on the site!

If you log on right now, you can:

• Help Sourcebooks pick the new cover for Bran Hambric: The Specter Key. Sketches by Brandon Dorman (who designed Savvy and Fablehaven) are up and awaiting votes! If you let us know what you think, you could win one of 100 Bran Hambric half-moon charm necklaces, 1 of 50 signed Bran Hambric posters, or 1 of 3 signed hardcover books.
• Join the Sourcebooks Fire Teen Review board! Would you like to review all of our publications before we print them--and let us know what you think!? If you are a teen that loves YA, you can help us with our new line!
• Think you have what it takes to be the next big thing in YA? Sourcebooks Fire wants to read YOUR ideas, so we have teamed up with Georgia from #YALitChat and are hosting open submissions for all of February.
• Check out vlogger James Holder’s video on new years resolutions for Team Jacob, let us know your resolutions, and win one of three advanced copies of Eden Maguire’s US debut Beautiful Dead (March 2010).
• If you’re in the New York area, come party with us on March 18th to celebrate the birth of Sourcebooks Fire! In attendence will be Sourcebooks Fire authors and friends, with a guest performance by Tiger Beat--the first ever YA authors rock band starring Libba Bray, (our own) Dan Ehrenhaft, Barney Miller, and Natalie Standiford.

As you can tell, we have a lot going on this season! And there’s even more on the horizon for Fall 2010! You can find out all about it at http://teenfire.ning.com/.


Great stuff, huh? Make sure you check it out!

Continue reading News: Sourcebook's New Teen Imprint

Event Report: Chicken House 10th Anniversary Big Breakfast

Chicken House turns 10 this year, and so to celebrate, they held a breakfast event in London, and I was invited! I hadn't been to a publishing event before so I didn't know what to expect. Having only reviewed one book for Chicken House, and so little contact with anyone from the publishing house, I didn't know anyone there, and there were so many people! I spoke to a few people who took pity on me, standing on my own, before the event began properly, which was lovely.

Then the event started. Barry Cunningham, the Managing Director, gave a talk about how Chicken House started, and how far they've come as a company, with the novels and the authors they've published. He also mentioned that two of their novels, Flyaway by Lucy Christopher, and The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh have been shorlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2010. Then several authors were invited to come up.

First up was Cornelia Funke. who spoke to us about her experiences with Chicken House, and about her new novel, Reckless, which will be released on 14th September. She also read out an excerpt from the first chapter, and it sounds really good!

Next up was authors Rachel Ward (Numbers) and Lucy Christopher (Stolen, Flyaway), who both spoke in turn about why they write teen fiction, what they love about it, and their publishing experiences with Chicken House.

Then up came Di Toft (Wolven), who did the same, but also spoke about how Wolven is supposed to be funny as well as scary, and how she was inspired by Steven King. She also spoke to us about Demon Strike by Andrew Newbound, and a book who's name I can't remember for the life of me, nor find online anywhere (sorry!), but I believe it's by Ross Mackenzie. It sounded good though! About magic and dreams! Both authors were also in attendance.

(ETA: Ross Mackenzie commented, and his book is called Zac and the Dream Pirates, released in August)

We then had Sophia Bennett (Threads), who talked about her experience of winning the The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction competition, as well as that of previous winners Pat Walsh (The Crowfield Curse) and Emily Diamond (Flood Child).

Finally came Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams (Tunnels series), to talk about their Chicken House experience. It was great to hear how they originally tried to self-publish before receiving a call from Barry. There was also news about Tunnels being optioned for a movie! Apparently there will be more news on this next week on Chicken House's website.

Then Barry came back to the mic to end the event. It was a pretty good event, and it was great to hear about so many books! Barry mentioned several other books during his speeches, and there were so many novels mentioned throughout the whole event that I want to read! Chicken House is publishing some brilliant sounding books this year, and I can't wait to read them!

And, just as I was on my way out, who did I happen to bump into? Jenny of Wondrous Reads! Neither of us knew the other was going to be there, but it was great to meet her! Unfortunately, I had to get going, so I wasn't able to speak to her for very long, but I saw someone I knew in the end!

Here are some of the books Chicken House will be releasing this year, either by authors who spoke, or were mentioned by others:





The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh - Jan 2010
Flyaway by Lucy Christopher - Jan 2010
Pretty Bad Things - March 2010
Demon Strike by Andrew Newbound - March 2010
Threads: Boys, Beads & Bangles by Sophia Bennett 2010
Closer (The Tunnels Series Book 4) by Roderick Gordon and Brian Willams - May 2010
Wolven - The Twilight Circus - May 2010
Numbers 2: The Chaos by Rachel Ward - June 2010
Flood & Fire by Emily Diamond - August 2010

How awesome are all those covers?! I love them!

Continue reading Event Report: Chicken House 10th Anniversary Big Breakfast