Book Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

Title: Fracture (Fracture #1)
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it? Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

Okay, let me start by saying that the blurb of this book is just the most misleading blurb EVER! Seriously. How I expected this book to be was WAY different than what this book actually was. Some people told me it's paranormal. Others said it's contemporary. I personally think that this book could best be classified as thriller. However, that didn't stop me from finishing this book.

Let's start with the opening sentence. "The first time I died, I didn't see God."
How could anyone NOT go crazy over that? I'm serious. That itself did a great job in keeping me hooked. Then, of course, comes the idea of a girl dying and coming back to life. It's all just really fascinating.

Let's move on to the characters in this book:

1-Delaney: Delaney is the girl who died and miraculously comes back to life. I have to say, Delaney was one of the really awesome YA characters. You get to love her. Even though she isn't your Katniss or Tris (she isn't physically strong), you still get to love her. It's her personality you fall in love with, how she views the world.

2-Troy: Troy was absolutely a very complicated and well-written character. He actually managed to give me shivers. Sometimes I thought he isn't human. Although his inhuman-ness came from humanity.(Read the book you'll understand what I mean more)

I mean, he seemed to be doing inhuman actions because of pain. Who kills people thinking that it's better for them? That's unfair. However, this action can somehow be argued as human because he has a point as well, but no matter what, a person shouldn't kill people.

3-Decker: Decker was an admirable character. I guess Decker is a good friend, a person you can rely on type of guy. He's there for you and gives you hope.

I want to talk about the writing style in this book now:

When I first started reading this book, I noticed lots of medical terms. Well, I thought perhaps Miranda researched these medical conditions. However, Miranda wrote in an extraordinary way. She crafte an amazing writing skill. She managed to give us the information well. I mean, she provided us with medical terms without making us confused. At the same time, she did justice to these medical information. She managed to balance between sending her information in a light way. This made me think: "Is Megan Miranda a doctor?" I immediately Googled her, and found out that she was a biologist.
I just have one thing to say:"WOW Megan Miranda. YOU ARE INSPIRATIONAL!!!"

This book is more than just a story. It makes you think. It haunts you. It whispers to you "this could really be real". It frightens you. It makes you ponder. Ahhh. Words can't do this justice.

I loved this book. All those who haven't read this. Pick it up now. Words can't describe how great thos book is, because this book isn't just a story you read to get entertained. It's more than that. It's much more than that.

Book Review: Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Title: Article 5 (Article 5 #1)
Author: Kristen Simmons
Publisher: Tor Teen

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

Before I start reviewing, I'd like to thank Tor Teen for providing me with a review copy of Article 5. Really appreciated. Thank you so much.

Cover design: The people who work at the art/cover design department of Tor Teen are geniuses. The covers they come up with are very well-designed and mesmerizing. This cover is very well-designed. It perfectly pictures the world the book is set in. And the colors. Oh the colors. There's a great blend of colors in this cover. The grayish color, the slightly beige, the red. Very very impressive. Great work!

The book:
I really loved this book for various reasons. For those who may not know, Article 5 is post-apocalyptic/dystopian. Now, this genre is very well-spread/known these days. Bookstores are full of them; publishers are publishing a lot of them. However, the question is: Is Article 5 one of the better ones or the worse ones?

The answer is definitely: BETTER ONES!

I found the idea of the Articles to be very interesting. They're sort of rules that the society should follow. Now, our main concern is Article 5. Article 5 states: "Children are considered valid citizens only when conceived by a married man and wife."

However, our main character, Ember, is not a valid citizen. 

Now, I found this idea to be very original and different. I didn't expect a dystopian like this. I found these dystopian elements very interesting. And the action. The action was GREAT!

Another character along with Ember is Chase. Chase was like Ember, interesting.

Ember: Ember wasn't exactly a strong character, but she was a character who went through a lot. She wasn't helpless, and she felt very real. I could understand her struggles. I could sympathize with her...

Chase: Chase. What can I say about him other than wanting to punch him? I seriously hated the guy. As the story went on, I could understand his significance and importance to the story.

Article 5 is Kristen Simmons's debut novel, and it's a very good one. Her writing is vivid with imagination, rich with emotions, and full of suspense. I kept turning the pages. I had to know what was going on. I kept reading and reading and reading. I also had jaw-dropping moments. I REALLY had not expected several things to happen.

Overall, I really enjoyed Article 5. Kristen Simmons is a great writer, and I cannot wait to read Breaking Point, which comes out next year.

Liebster Blog Awards

I was tagged by Priya from Ravenfic Reviews for the Liebster Blog Awards. So you might ask, what exactly is this?

Quoting from Ravenfic Reviews: 

Now, if your scratching your head and thinking, "what in the world is that?", The Liebster Blog Award is an award given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is actually a German word which means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome. Well, doesn't that make you all mushy?

So people, here are the rules (for once I decided that I might follow them this time) :

1. Each person must post 11 facts about themselves

2. Answer 11 questions the tagger has given you and give 11 questions for the people you've tagged. (My dirty mind is on it)

3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.

4. Tell them you've tagged them. (Cause seriously they won't have a dream or receive a letter by an owl telling them that they've been awarded by the awesomeness that is yours truly)

5. Remember, no tag backs. (It's said to be a cause of animosity between many bloggers. Just kidding ... or maybe not).

Today I will be answering questions Priya asked me:

1. How long have you been blogging?

I actually don't remember! I've been blogging since a long time, but not on Bookville, on another, but Bookville is new.(I don't remember when I started Bookville either), but blogging is pretty fun, and ever MORE time-consuming

2. What's your most anticipated read of 2012?

Actually the books I was highly anticipating are already released. Insurgent and City of Lost Souls. BUT, I'm pretty looking forward to The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore(Lorien Legacies #3)

3. What are you reading right now?

I am reading Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

4. If you could meet any author, which one would it be?

I have met some authors, but I REALLY want to meet Cassandra Clare and J.K Rowling

5. Which book or book series would you like to be turned into a movie?

The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness

6. From where do you mostly buy your books?

The Book Depository. I really love buying from bookstores but they're really expensive. I occasionally buy from my local bookstores, but TBD mostly.

7. Harry Potter vs Twilight vs The Hunger Games?

  Okay, I love Potter and Hunger Games TOO MUCH! But, I think I'd be team Potter?

And now, 11 random facts about me:

1- I love collecting perfume bottles.
2- I am running out of space in my bookshelves,so I need to get new ones :\
3- I think that no movie has visually beat Lord of the Rings, YET!
4- I suck at drawing. 
5- My book obsession started after Harry Potter ended.
6- I used to write lots of short stories for my English teachers in my school journals.
7- I collect movie tickets.
8- I am a great imitator =P.
9- I love the Harry Potter books/movies. I own every book and movie.
10- One of my favorite directors is Christopher Nolan.
11- I get really excited when I find out about a book cover reveal.

 
 

Book Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)
Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill(UK)

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...


Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever. 

I've been hearing amazing things about this series as a whole, but I managed to ignore it. You see, I am over vampire book after the "Twilight Craze" with a few exception. In the end though, I failed and gave in. I picked this book up. I had to know why everyone was raving about it, why everyone kept telling me "READ IT, THIS IS DIFFERENT." 
Also, the ratings on Goodreads quite tempt you to read this book. They're extremely HIGH! I happen to be one of those people to check reviews before checking out/buying a book.

So, what did I think of Vampire Academy? 

Well, before I fully go into reviewing this one, I have to say that I was hooked reading this book.

Positive aspects of Vampire Academy:

1-Writing style: Well let me say this, I instantly fell in love with Richelle Mead's writing style. It has a mix of everything bundled up in its own unique style: humor, sexiness, drama...

2-The world-building: Everybody just stand up already and start cheering, clapping, and applauding for Mead. This book is indeed different than any other vampire novel in the world-building aspect. Yes, you do see the classical vampire elements, but the Moroi, Dhampir, and Strigoi are just really mind-blowing stuff to come up with. 

3-Characters: Well, one thing really amused me about the characters, especially the main character:

Rose: Although she proved to us she's a slut the whole way (which is not a good thing), I actually really liked her! That's weird, I know, but again, all credit goes to Mead for creating awesome characters.

Lissa: Lissa's Rose's best friend. I think her character was really well written, as we could see all sides of her. The happy side, the dark side, the creepy side.

Dimitri: Rose's love interest. Who wouldn't have guessed, eh? Well, he's a great character as well. I like how he's Russian and comes from a different background.

Christian: Hands down, Christian is my favorite character. Why? Well, certainly because of his weirdness. His family was a Strigoi. He is different than other people. Misunderstood. Seriously. Awesome. 

4-The story: Well, even though this book/series is called Vampire Academy, it certainly doesn't focus on vampires. There are many other things going on. Killing. Drama. Everything. Again, Richelle Mead has crafted an extremely well-written story that will keep readers hungry for more.

Negative aspects of Vampire Academy:

While I did really like Rose, I sometimes felt like I wanted to slap her and punch her. I mean, she was too free. She always wanted to sleep with guys. She proved to be a slut. I said I liked her earlier, but I liked her for her courage, for her care. I seriously couldn't understand how a someone could be this free about sexual stuff. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I definitely want to read the next five in this series.

 

Author Interview: Leigh Fallon + Giveaway

I contacted Leigh Fallon, the lovely author of Carrier of the Mark. She accepted my request for an author interview! Thank you so much! It was great coming up with the questions and getting to know you more =) !

 The interview will consist of 10 questions. And here we go...


1-Introduce yourself. What are your hobbies? What were the best experiences you've had when you where a child, a teen, and an adult? Tell us about your hometown.

Okay, well... Hello! I'm Leigh Fallon the author of Carrier of the Mark and the up and coming sequel, Shadow of the Mark. I grew up in Dublin Ireland, then moved to Cork down the South of Ireland. My childhood was spent playing in the fields and forests of the Dublin Mountains. Summers were spent hacking out through the trees on horseback and swimming in the lakes of Feather Beds (bog lands in the Dublin Mountains). It was a wonderful place to grow up, and I hold onto many precious memories.
As an adult, after college, I travelled quite a bit. I worked all over Europe, before settling down in Cork with my Husband. My hometown is a tiny village just outside of Kinsale.  Kinsale is a beautiful coastal town in Cork Harbor that is steeped in rich history.  The Carrier Series is actually based in Kinsale. 
I'm currently living in Massachusetts, USA while my husband is on assignment here. I'm really enjoying living in the US, it's a fun change from Ireland. But Ireland will always be home.

2-What is your favorite appitizer/main course/dessert?

Fun question!!Oh let me see...
Appetizer - Pan-fried mushrooms in garlic butter. NOM! 
Main Course - I adore Indian food, so I think I'd go for Chicken Jalfrezi, Bombay Aloo, and a Peshwari naan. Double NOM! Dessert - That would have to be either Banoffie pie, or bread  pudding with salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice-cream. *sighs*

3-Were you always fascinated with books? What genre did you mostly read?  

Yes! I loved to read, but I never thought I'd be a writer. I was a reader through and through. I read everything.  I loved Dahl & Blume growing up, anything that would make me laugh. Then as a teen I fell hard for romantic comedy books.  I devoured everything by Jilly Cooper. Then I discovered YA and never looked back.

4-When and why did you decide you should write your own book?

It was really out of the blue. I hadn't been planning on it. One day, the story just kind of popped into my head. I wrote it all long  hand and only when it was nearly finished did it dawn on me that I'd turned this idea into a book. I loved every second of writing  Carrier of the Mark. It completely consumed me.

5-How did you find the publishing process? What's the best and worst thing about it?

Getting published is tough, very tough.  I had it relatively easy. I was offered a publishing deal for Carrier only two months after completing it. But it's not like that for everyone. I know I was VERY lucky.  The best part was the editing process, it's difficult but fun. I enjoyed being guided and seeing my manuscript develop and  grow. It was an amazing experience and my editor is wonderful. The  worst part is trying to market and publicize your book once it's completed. I'm quite introverted and it goes against the grain to put myself out in the public forum. It's really quite stressful and plays havoc with my confidence. But all writers must overcome their fears and push forward. It's part of the job.

6-How do you feel when somebody devours your book and cannot stop talking about it? Do you connect with your fans? In contrast, how do you react when someone says really bad things about your book?

Carrier of the Mark was my first book and I really didn't know how to react at first to the response from readers. Obviously I love hearing from people who adored the book. Their enthusiasm drives me forward.  There are so many amazing readers and fans who contact me, and I appreciate and adore each and every one of them. But negative reviews are part of the business. I didn't know how to react at first. Each negative review is like a punch in the gut to the rookie writer.  You see, we're just starting out. I had no confidence in myself, I took every word to heart and they ate away at my soul. It's silly really, I shouldn't have let it get to me. Some of my favorite books of all time have been torn apart by reviewers. I look back and wish I knew then what I know now. They're just opinions and bad reviews are not necessarily a bad thing. In fact a negative review can reflect quite positively on your book if people don't share the same taste as that reader. I myself chose to buy books based on other peoples dislikes. It's a funny old world. But if we all liked the same things it would be boring, wouldn't it? So now I've developed a healthy policy of not reading reviews, good, bad, or indifferent, because in the end, the important thing is people are out there, reading, discussing, and engaging with each other, and that's what's important.

7-What do you personally think for the cover design of Carrier of the Mark?

I love the cover design for Carrier of the Mark. It is so striking and really encapsulates the plot and Megan's feelings. I couldn't  have asked for better really. The cover for Shadow of the Mark is equally as gorgeous. Wait until you see.

8-How do you come up with your book titles? Do you struggle with naming them? Does your editor help you with them?

Carrier of the Mark was always the name of Carrier, even when it was just words scrawled in a journal.  The only change was we dropped 'The' from the title. It used to the The Carrier of the Mark. The names for the two other books in the series have been changed from their originals. They were right for me as I was writing them, but publishers have different ideas when they are trying to package a series and create consistency and recognition.  Shadow of the Mark started out life as Dawn of the Knights.  When you read Shadow you'll see how both titles would work, but Shadow of the Mark  compliments the series better.

9-Do you have any friends who are authors as well? If yes, name some. Do you think you will co-write a book with them one day?

I have so many writer friends I'd be typing up their names all day. All writers gravitate to one another as it's a lonely business, and when you're traveling to conferences and signings, it's nice to be able to get together.  But then most of us are very far removed from each other as we're spread out across the world, so friendships are built up on line. There are some writer friends closer to me who I meet up with occasionally or talk to regularly, Kim Harrington (Clarity, Perception), Colleen Houck (Tiger Curse Series), Jennifer L Armentout (Half-Blood, Obsidian), Wendy Higgins (Sweet Evil) are just a few and are all awesome.

10-What is the best thing about being an author? What are the hardships/challenges/things you hate about being an author?

The best thing, is being able to write.  I love losing myself in a new story, creating characters, seeing what they're going to do, how they're going to act. It truly is the best job in the world.
The worst thing, is as I've mentioned before, the business side of things. It eats into your writing time and in most cases you spend more time marketing and publicizing your book than you do writing it. I just hope that one day I'll be enough of a success to employ others to do that side for me, leaving me more time to write and correspond with my fans. That would be wonderful.

And now, Time for a GIVEAWAY =D

a Rafflecopter giveaway