Review: Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

The Morganville Vampires #1
Genre: Paranormal
Format: Audiobook
Published by AudioGo Ltd, 2010
Originally published 2006 by NAL Jam
Goodreads // Amazon UK

It’s a small college town filled with quirky characters. But when the sun goes down, the bad comes out. Because in Morganville, there is an evil that lurks in the darkest shadows—one that will spill out into the bright light of day.
Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. The popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks on the school’s social scene: somewhere less than zero. And Claire really doesn’t have the right connections—to the undead who run the town.
When Claire heads off campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Hew new roommates don’t show many signs of life. But they’ll have Claire’s back when the town’s deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood...

*Review of the Audio*: I thought the narrator spoke at an ideal pace and her voice was appealing. I really liked that there were very obvious and different voices for each of the characters and that they each seemed to have a clear personality. No gripes with the audio!

This book is what I would call a fun read. It's not the fastest paced book and there isn't a whole lot of action until the end, but it is rather enjoyable. The vampires in this book, while not amazingly original (but it's hard to do that these days), were actually rather intimidating. The more Claire got sucked into their exclusive and mysterious world of Morganville, the more I actually found them frightening. What also frightened me was the premise. Claire is a sixteen year old nerd living on a university campus. Her parents didn't want her to go far away for school, but as she's hours away from them she might as well be. She's beaten up within an inch of her life by female bullies just because no one else would stop it. That didn't make sense to me. Claire is very mature for her age and has quite a lot of lady balls for a sixteen year old. Why not just make her normal college freshman age? I didn't see the gain in her being sixteen. Maybe I'm missing something about crossing ages for wider audiences or other technical mumbo-jumbo.

Glass Houses isn't perfect. I could tell that it was the first instalment of a series, since the majority of the book was spent on character building. Claire and her roommates spent a lot of time drinking coke and eating with each other. When I look back on the book, while those moments were amusing and gave a lot of insight to Claire's new friends, there is an enormous contrast to the action parts of the book. I think, therefore, that there is a bite of a pacing issue going on. I enjoyed the characters very much and that's probably why I liked the book, but I felt like I'd be jerked to a hault sometimes.

Overall, it's a rather light read with some likeable characters and quite a bit of promise for books to come. I just thought that it was missing something. Whether that be better pacing or a slightly more believable premise, I'm not sure. I just might pick up the next book to listen to as my library has it!

Review: Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien

Genre: Dystopian

Pages: 361 
Format: Paperback
Published April 1, 2011 by Simon & Schuster Children's 
First published March 30, 2010
Goodreads // Amazon UK

In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the walled Enclave and those, like sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone, who live outside. Following in her mother’s footsteps Gaia has become a midwife, delivering babies in the world outside the wall and handing a quota over to be "advanced" into the privileged society of the Enclave. Gaia has always believed this is her duty, until the night her mother and father are arrested by the very people they so loyally serve.
Now Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught, but her choice is simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying.
A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish. 

Gaia breaks into the walls of the Enclave in search of her parents. She learns that the society she thought was privileged and perfect turns out to have its problems and they actually need the children from outside the wall. From the start, the book's summary didn't actually grab me in; I picked up this book based off of reviews from others. This book met some of the expectations I had and fell in others. I suppose I'll get to that in a minute. I just simply liked it. Nothing amazingly outstanding.

Like all dystopian books, the setting as well as the society itself has to be original. The Enclave, like many other societies, was all-seeing, practically all-knowing, and intimidating. I wasn't blown out of the water with the original idea of babies having to be given to the Enclave. I found myself annoyed with it for most of the book. In the Enclave, many of the inhabitants are having children with genetic diseases like hemophelia due to the lack of genetic diversity and they need children from outside the wall to supply stronger genes. They need Gaia to crack her parents' secret code so that they can discover the parentage of the 'advanced' children. What I don't understand is that if they've been so concerned with genetics, why didn't they keep a record in the first place? It certainly wouldn't have been difficult. I just couldn't get over this fact for the entire book!

There were redeeming qualities about this book, however. I can see why readers enjoyed it. Caragh O'Brien is a genuinely talented writer and paints a vivid world full of a few good characters. I really did like reading about Gaia. She's strong and doesn't take no for an answer but isn't afraid to still be gentle when she needs to be. I just couldn't really get past the main plot. I guess that's why the book was just okay for me. I'm not really sure I'd read the second book in this series. I'll probably have too a long queue of books to place the next book near the top.

Review: The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Pages: 368
Format: E-galley (provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
To Be Released May 1, 2012 by Amulet Books
Goodreads // Amazon UK

This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance. On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears.

The Peculiars was a book that really caught my attention. The book description describes the wilderness of Scree, inhabited by peculiar people and a mystery of her father disappearing on her family. I can tell you, however, that Scree is not visited until the latter part of the book and Lena spends a lot of her time accidentally finding out things about peculiars in an old house with a kooky library. Where the plot was really slow for me during the first half of the book, I wasn't as disappointed in the characters.

I really liked Lena and her 'abnormality' in her long hands and feet. It's really refreshing to read about a character who isn't physically perfect. Overall, I thought she was a really great leading lady and I could chart her character growth throughout the whole novel. My favourite character by far was Jimson. I'd describe his personality as a kid in a candy shop. He's constantly excited, but I just didn't see him as a mature love interest for Lena.

I think where this book fell flat for me was the pacing. I would equate this book to a traffic jam, I think. I'm trying to get somewhere that I'm really excited about and traffic is moving again only to sputter to a halt once more. Several times. Some parts of the book dragged out while others had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I just wanted Lena to meet some peculiars and just maybe get to Scree.

I didn't love the book, but I did find most of it rather enjoyable when the plot picked up. I would recommend this book to readers with interest in historical fiction with a fantasy twist, as I don't know if I'd classify this as steampunk myself. The author does take a lot of liberties with the scientific history (I cringed a little when Lena mentioned DNA, not coined until much later) but that's to be expected with fantasized history. Interestingly, Maureen Doyle McQuerry has a very neat little afterword giving the factual history of many of the inventions and weapons used in the story that picky people might want to look at first.

Review: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2)
by James Dashner
Pages: 321

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction
Format: e-book
Published October 12, 2010 by Random House Children's Books
Goodreads // Amazon UK

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.
In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.
Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.
The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.
Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

I really enjoyed The Maze Runner. I think this series is quite different than many series out there, even though it has recently been advertised as similar to The Hunger Games. After reading the second instalment of James Dashner's dystopian series, I really see that this is not the case. The brutal world of disease Dashner creates is a post-apocalyptic nightmare, where the boys (and girl) from the maze are dropped off in the wasteland to survive the Scorch Trials. I'm just not sure how I feel about The Scorch Trials. I liked it, I just wasn't thrilled with it.

I didn't feel that there was much character development outside of Thomas and Teresa. The supporting characters remained the same from the first book. Minho and Newt were just there, even though they were some of my favourites in the previous novel. I also wasn't crazy about the addition of Brenda. Don't get me wrong, James Dashner is such an incredible writer to really make the reader think that she's about to come off her hinges from the Flare, I just thought she was really unpredictable (even if she was a key plot advancer).

This book was a mediocre middle novel in a trilogy that functioned only as a bridge between the first and last. I felt like the boys were just walking the desert for the whole book, while Thomas magically knew what to do and passed out at the end of nearly every chapter. I'm genuinely invested in trying to figure out what WICKED is doing with the Gladers, so I will probably read the final instalment, The Death Cure. I hope it doesn't let me down and lives up to the mystery of the first novel.

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Pages: 496

Genre: Paranormal

Format: Paperback, Collectors Ed.

Published by Walker Books, Ltd

First Published December 6, 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Goodreads // Amazon

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

I finished this a couple weeks ago and I procrastinated on this review. Probably because I'm not too sure how to review this one. I was super excited to finally pick this book up, since I thought the ending of Clockwork Angel, the first book, was actually really good and it must have been leading up to something. I think I was wrong, at least for the first half of the book. The first half of the book had me reading about them trying to find answers and getting nowhere in a spectacularly boring way and reading about Will and Tessa trying to deny their love for each other. Will was not very likeable and Tessa seemed like she was just mooching off of the Shadowhunters because I forgot why the bad guy was a bad guy. The villain just does not scare me whatsoever. It literally took me a month to read the first half of this book.

The second half of the book, however, really did it for me. It swiftly came back up to par with what I know Clare to be capable of. Tessa finally proves that she is useful and deserving of the Shadowhunter's protection. I'm glad she came into her own finally! A lot of the characters really grew on me. Jem is so sweet and Will shows he has some depth. I was most happy of all to see Charlotte gain some confidence in herself. She's turning out to be a good character.

The action was thrilling and the information we learned was good (in the second half). It kept me turning the pages of the book I nearly chucked aside. The evil Mortmain, or whatever his name is, didn't make an appearance in this book and I seriously wonder why the Shadowhunters even care about catching him. Please remind me in the third book, Cassandra!

Yes, despite it all, I'll be reading the third book when it's released. The ending made up for it and Clare is a little trickster who makes me always want more! Curses! I still prefer the Mortal Instruments...

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Pages: 375
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
Format: Paperback (UK)
Published February 7, 2012 by Atom
First Published January 3, 2012 by Harper Collins 
Goodreads // Amazon

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

This book had one of the best premises I'd seen in a really long time. Fortunately, my expectations were not just met, but completely blown away! First of all, and this is just my opinion, but I don't see this book as dystopian. I know other reviewers have called it that, but to me it's just a bit like post-apocalyptic science fiction since I didn't see the Dwellers as having the ultimate rule of the land. Yes, there is a difference between science fiction and dystopian!

The plot was fantastic. It moved at a perfect pace and I was really happy with the subplots. The clash of the two worlds was done in a simply superb way. Both the Dwellers and the Outsiders had their shortfalls, but I could see why each group of people lived the way they did. They're simply adaptations for survival from the Aether storms. Talking about Aether storms, they were actually a tad frightening and became a legitimate roadblock when one was needed in the plot. I was surprised to see some fantasy in this book as well. The Outsiders have some hidden talents sprinkled amongst their ranks. At first I thought super senses were a little hokey, especially the ability Perry has. Super Scent (of all the possible senses) just seemed a little lame at first, but I was definitely proven wrong.

The characters were just awesome. I loved Aria's endearing ignorance and Perry's frustrations. They were both quite complex and carried out their clearcut motivations through the entire novel without wavering. Well done there, Veronica. Not once did I think someone did something out of character. The book alternates between the two main characters' point of view and for once, I don't have a single gripe about that. That usually irritates me, but I thought it was very well executed. Also, the supporting characters were very entertaining, especially Roar, whom I grew a soft spot for. Well, to sum it up, the characters were very strong and I think one of the best parts about this novel.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the romance was just so right. I could see the evolution of Aria and Perry's love for each other right before my eyes. I was practically cheering when I realised that this wouldn't be a novel where the characters decide (for reasons unknown to the reader) that they have a thing for each other and I just couldn't be more glad. The romance between them was slow and sweet which I find to be a rarity in this YA genre. It definitely makes it all the more believable.

Overall, this novel is just a stunner in my book. I can't wait to get my hands on more writing from Veronica Rossi. This is her first book! I can't believe it. I whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone trying apprehensive about sinking their teeth into some science fiction, as it does have a hearty amount of romance and fantasy as well.

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Pages: 371
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: Paperback
Published by Chicken House
First Published October 6, 2009 by Delacorte Press
Take a look: Goodreads // Amazon

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.
Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.
Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

James Dashner does a little bit of amazing with this book. He uses a whole lot of trickery, in the best of ways, to keep the reader reading. You know those books with the impossibly short chapters that leave you saying "just one more, it's short"? This is one of those books! The chapters are so quick, I found myself reading on and on until I was halfway through the book. How very sneaky, Mr Dashner.

The book itself is nothing short of awesome. In the beginning, the reader knows just as much of what's going on as the main character, Thomas, does. Thomas wakes up with his memory wiped and has to learn how to survive. I truly enjoyed learning about the Glade and the Maze where these boys live through the eyes of Thomas who also is figuring out why he's there. The characters are very likeable because they seem real. Every single one of them has a flaw and complexity to them even if they don't have any memories outside of the Maze.  The setting is superb! The Maze feels so eerie and dangerous while the Glade feels like home.

The beginning of this book may seem slow to readers who like to completely immerse themselves straight from the first page. As Thomas knows nothing, it does take a long time for him and the readers to catch their bearings. I personally found this experience intriguing, but I understand that it's not for everyone.

Readers may compare the book to The Hunger Games, but I don't see that many similarities. Sure, there are a bunch of teenagers, but they're trying to solve a maze, not kill each other for someone else's amusement. I feel like there is a complexity and mystery about it that the Hunger Games doesn't have, as the maze is a giant puzzle. Nonetheless, it still is a great read for fans of the Hunger Games who enjoyed the action of the arena.

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Pages: 476
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Format: ebook
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Upon hearing of a prequel of sorts to the Mortal Instruments series I was absolutely elated! I loved the idea of Shadowhunters in Victorian London and I felt like it would be a lot of fun. What's not to love about Cassandra Clare's books? When I actually started reading the series I really wasn't sure of what I was reading.

The book's saving grace was that it wasn't that slow to start. It had a decent pace and I was keeping up with everything, enjoying it for what it was. I was however, very disappointed with the characters. I only came to like Jem. Tessa has all of the makings for a good heroine, she just needs to grow some lady balls. Perhaps this is just the way Tessa starts the series and we'll see a really nicely rounded character evolution. Who knows! Will simply irritated me. I rolled my eyes nearly every time he walked into the scene, because his character was so dramatically arrogant and annoying. There's a hinting to some depth that may be revealed later on, but for now I can't stand his "I have a major thing for you but I'm too much of an arrogant jerk" act. The way he talked about himself was also just too similar to Jace's character in the Mortal Instruments to be ignored, save Jace was actually a bit funny when he did it. The minor characters didn't seem as strong as the minor characters in the Mortal Instruments. I don't think I'd want them to watch my back in a fight.

The "historical" fiction aspect of it was really fun at first, but as I kept reading it just seemed rather forced. I don't think it was necessary to describe social decorum the way it was every time it came up that something was different in the Victorian Era. I prefer figuring it out from the action and dialogue rather than being told. I took the historical accuracy with a grain of salt, so I don't have complaints about that like some people might. After all, this is a book with warlocks and demons, okay?

The action really got rolling in the end and it really brought up a lot of questions to my mind about Tessa. Who is she really? And what do these bad people need her for? I really hope these get answered as I read the second book, Clockwork Prince. Often, as one book follows another, a lot of connections are made and things start to make sense.

Overall, it's a decent addition to the world of the Shadowhunters, but I just don't think it does a lot for me. I much prefer Clary to Tessa and Jace to Will... and heck even Simon to Jem. I'll still read the second one, but if I'm disappointed I think I'll be done with this series. Don't waste your money if you're not crazy about Cassandra Clare (even though I am). Borrow it from a friend.