Between the Lines Series by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Between the Lines perfectly captured the reasons behind my love of reading. I swear, the main character was me :P So I thought it would be appropriate to start this review a little differently, with a bunch of quotes that I absolutely loved.

My favourite passage came from the ending of Off the Page (the second novel). Here's a shortened version of it;

 “Everyone has a story. You might think it’s not worth telling, but then again, it’s a story no one has ever heard. What you do, what you say, how you carry the plot, just might leave a mark on someone. ..[Stories] help you escape, and they give you the chance to do things you never imagined you would or could…They are dreams for those who are still awake…Stories are all around us, caught in the throats of the strangers you walk past and scrawled on the pages of locked diaries..You’d best get going. Your reader is eagerly awaiting the next chapter”

Now for a bunch of other amazing and very inspiring quotes;

“I’d much rather pretend I’m somewhere else, and any time I open the pages of a book, that happens.” 

"When you have so many people, each one inevitably fascinating, why would you limit yourself to only those like you?...Instead of feeling as if I'm being judged by someone different from me, I learn from them."

“We could all be lucky. We could all be what we want to be, instead of who someone else told us to be.” 

“The act of reading is a partnership. The author builds a house, but the reader makes it a home.” 

“Well, you have to find that rare someone for whom you’re not putting on a show. Someone who shines a spotlight in your direction—not because you’re who they need you to be, or who they want you to be…just because you’re you.” 

“When she wanted to escape her life, she read books” 

 “At that moment, Oliver realized that home is not a place, but rather, the people who love you.” 

“How do you know that you are not part of a book? That someone's not reading your story right now?” 

Click to read more, for the real review...

The Absolutist by John Boyne

“In that direction only pain lies.” 

I think this quote pretty much sums up the book. I can't actually remember in which part of the book this quote is from, but it can be interpreted as the physical pain that war brings, the emotional pain because of the many losses it causes, or pain because of a heartbreak.

Just in case you are unaware, an absolutist is someone that completely opposes the war- they refuse to fight in it, or help out in any other way. Nowadays, I think the majority of people are against war, but during WWI, they were considered cowards or 'feather men'. There were also conscientious objectors, who were those who refused to fight in the War, but helped out in other ways, e.g. by being a stretcher bearer. I actually learnt many things by reading this book. It's not very educational, but I was just ignorant about WWI before.

Velvet by Mary Hooper

“All at once it struck her that there were many degrees of evil in the world.”

Velvet by Mary Hooper is a historical fiction novel exploring the world of clairvoyants. The main character, Velvet is a young lady and an orphan. She works at the laundry in order to make ends meet. When something goes wrong and she thinks she is going to lose her job, the famous psychic, Madame Savoya, employs Velvet. Velvet becomes a sort of assistant and gets an inside look into how the world of mediums works. At first, she is completely mesmerized. However, as she learns more, she begins to realize that nothing and no one are really what they seem.

This is going to be another short review. This is because I find that with easier to read books I get so entranced by the story that it becomes hard for me to go back and analyse what I just read. What I can remember is that I loved the book. I read it in a few hours and wanted more!

Almost Dead by Kaz Delaney

“…Well, you can’t have it both ways. You wanted a father, so you’ve got one.”

Almost Dead by Kaz Delaney follows the story of a Gold Coast elite high school girl, Macey Pentecost.  She is being visited by ghosts who need help to ‘move on’.  Although she doesn’t understand anything of the supernatural, she thinks she has it under control. That is, until she is visited by the ghost of ‘Nick’, who stubbornly refuses to admit he is dead.  He tries to warn Macey of danger, but even he doesn’t know what the danger is.  It all becomes more complicated as her father comes home with a surprise, Macey gets threats messages from a stalker and she starts developing feelings for Nick’s cousin.

Yesterday, my laptop stopped working and I took it as a ‘sign’ that I shouldn’t be doing homework :P I must say I am happy that my computer is crazy because I then found Almost Dead. The same day I finished it. It’s light, it’s cute and it’s romantic. Definitely different to the recent books I had been reading, and I was very glad to just relax for a bit. While it is very easy to read, it still has a very interesting plot. I was just a bit disappointed when I found out who the stalker was. Maybe it was just me, but I didn’t think we had enough mentions of the stalker. I had to quickly read back to remind myself who this person was. At least it was a surprise.

Everyday by David Levithan

“Every day I am someone else. I am myself-I know I am myself-but I am also someone else. It has always been like this.” 

Imagine waking up in a different body every day. A different room, a different family, a different life. Sounds crazy, right? This is the life of A (not from Pretty Little Liars!).  

Just from reading the blurb, I had high expectations. It's an interesting idea, and I was curious to see where the author took it. There are so many possibilities, and it had me asking so many questions. What is the reason for A waking up in a different body every day? What happens if A stays up past midnight? Can he/she stay in a body for more than a day? What happens to the person whose body he/she's in? 

The Girl in the Steel Corset (#1 The Steampunk Chronicles) by Kady Cross

"No person was entirely good or entirely evil- one side could not exist without the other." Chapter 7

The Girl in the Steel Corset is about a 16 year old girl, Finley Jayne, with a mysterious side to her. Set in 1897, being different wasn't generally accepted in society. Finley has a 'thing' inside of her, something that gives her strength and aggression when she is in danger. Soon, she finds other people each with their own power. Together they try to find 'The Machinist' - the mastermind behind several crimes. All of his crimes seem to be random and  unconnected to each other, but there's one similarity- all of the crimes are done by automatons. And they aren't as random as they seem... all the small crimes are leading into something huge and catastrophic. 

When I first saw the cover book, I already thought it was the style of book I'd enjoy. I know... you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but my assumptions of the book were mostly correct. At first glance, I predicted it would be both historical and romantic. After flipping to the first page, I saw that my first guess was right- it was set in the past. 

O Meu Primeiro Blog: De Volta aos Quinze por Bruna Vieira

“Dizem por aí, e eu concordo plenamente; a melhor maneira de ser feliz com alguém é aprender a ser feliz sozinho. Daí a companhia será questão de escola, e não de necessidade”

O livro, De Volta aos Quinzes por Bruna Vieira é o primeiro da triologia do Meu Primeiro Blog. A história é sobre uma mulher - chamada Anita - de 30 anos que estava muito infeliz com a vida, sobretudo estava infeliz com o trabalho, falta de relacionamentos e acima de tudo com as escolhas dela. A amiga de Anita manda o link para o velho blog de Anita, e desde esse momento a vida da Anita se transforma. Quando ela abriu o site, ela é transportada para o passado, de volta aos quinze, e tem a oportunidade de mudar e recomeçar a vida. Mas, as consequências das escolhas não são como ela esperava e acabam deixando a vida dela muito mais complicada.

Vou começar dizendo que eu amei este livro! Eu li o livro inteirinho em apenas um dia e meio. O que me deixou mais impressionada foi o quanto Bruna já conseguiu com só 19 anos. Saber isso, me deixou inspirada para seguir os meus próprios sonhos. Voltando ao livro, eu sempre adoro livros que lidam com a idéia  de trocar de corpo ou, come neste caso, trocar de idade. Histórias assim sempre são muito engraçadas, são um jeito interessante de escrever críticas da sociedade e ensinar bons valores para o leitor. Fazer a Anita voltar aos 15 anos várias vezes, mesmo depois de ter aprendindo uma lição foi um jeito muito bom de botar uma novidade em uma idéa velha.

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick (#4 Hush Hush Series)

“Arrogance can be deadly.”  - Finale

Finale is the fourth and last book of the Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick. In this book the leader of the leader of the Nephilim revolution has died and now Nora must lead them. Nora wants to end this upheaval and bring things back to peace. However, other don't agree and there is a lot at stake. Nora must find her inner leader all at the same time maintaining her relationship with Patch. The people she thinks she can trust are the people that will surprise her.

As I mentioned, this is the last book of a series. I do not usually write a review on the sequels so I will keep this short and sweet. (If you would like to read the longer review on her it all began here is the link, Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick )

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.”The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic American novel. The story is told by Nick as he shares his point on view of the people around him and of course, about the mystifying Gatsby. Gatsby, like the country, is young. Gatsby’s past mysterious, his stories don’t match up and the reasons he has done everything so far is unclear. Nick uncovers the truth, or at least what we think is the truth, of the man.I guess if you are reading this you want to know if it is a good book to read. Before I start discussing the novel and analyzing it, I will start by answering this. I have heard many people who have enjoyed this book, it is even being made into a movie but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

“Why be the sheep when you can be the wolf?”  - Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers is the first book in His Fair Assassin series. After escaping the brutalities of her father and her newly wed husband she is sent to a convent.There Isame learns that she is a daughter of death, just like the other girls of the convent of St. Mortain. She has been assigned a duty to kill those with a 'marque', to bring justice into the world. Ismae learns all the ways to kills a man and is ready for where her duties will take her. She has sworn loyalty to her God and convent to do their bidding. However,  everything is shaken when she starts falling in love with the man she is supposed to snoop and potentially kill. Also, she is starts to realise that maybe the convent can make mistakes.

To start off I have to say that this book is an older youth fiction; it is suitable to girls in their 20s. At the start I was a bit discouraged and thought that this book would be inappropriate for someone in their mid-teens. However, the book shifts in their focus, away from the villainy and brutality towards more of a mystery and romance novel. 

Although this book is all about an assassin, I think it can relate a lot to real life. The theme/idea that stayed with me through this book is one that I have always debated; the relationship between believing in religion and believing in the religion's faith.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

“The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter - often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter - in the eye.” 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is a gothic romance novel that has become a classic. It is the story of Jane Eyre a strong, fierce, passionate, educated, god-righteous woman as seen by her eyes. Jane was an orphan, she was sent to a boarding school for the destitute when she was 10 by her neglecting aunt. There, she received quite a good education and found a teacher that really inspired her. Jane always wanted to travel and discover the world so after completing her schooling and teaching there for two years, she becomes a governess to a rich family with a mysterious master. The story is her struggle in finding the balance between the morally right thing and her own passions, between being obedient but independent and free-willed. Jane critiques the social class division however sticks to it and believes in it all through her life.

Charlotte Brontë made my thoughts on old novels change. Through Jane Eyre I found that there can be classic that I become absolutely enthralled. Sure, it still had some of the conventional language found in older and gothic books: long paragraphs describing something that appears to be insignificant (I’ll confess that sometimes I end up skipping a line or two when it is too descriptive) and the complete opposite, when a scene changes without notice that you are left to wonder what is going on.

I think that Brontë used Jane Eyre to explore concepts of social hierarchy and if status and behaviour is innate. However, she did not use the protagonist to challenge these concepts but rather, through her writing, gave the readers a ‘challenge’ to ponder for themselves in this issue. Jane Eyre was a strong, independent woman however she never saw herself as an equal.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

" Voices and faces aren't manifestations of good or bad. " - Fairest

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine is set in the fictional Kingdom of Ayortha. In Ayortha a person is judged on their appearance and their voice, it is considered normal for one to just break into a song in the middle of conversations. The main girl, Ava, has a beautiful voice however she is not so lucky with her looks. Ava always feels embarrassed and is very harsh on herself, all she longs for is to be beautiful. When she gets the opportunity to travel to the castle the Queen grows fond of her however but for the wrong reasons. The Queen quickly learns of Ava's secret ability and uses it for her own benefit. Ava also finds out the Queen's secrets and she too uses it for her own good. Both will learn that with any action, potion and spells comes great consequences. 

I read this book in under 3 hours. The plot was simple and the language was very easy and simple. By this description I do not mean to say the book was bad or even boring but I am stating these facts so that you can decide if you would like to read the book. I personally like reading these books when I don't want to spend too much of my time reading or when I want a cheesy, cute book just to pass my time.

Eve (the Eve Trilogy) by Anna Carey

“A relationship between two people can be judged by the list of things unspoken between them.”  - Eve

Eve by Anna Carey is the first in the Eve Trilogy. The story is set in 2032, in the New America after a plague (and its vaccine that was meant to help) killed most of the world's population. The U.S.A is now ruled by a King. Girls and boys are completely separated into schools. Eve, the protagonist, is graduating from school and hopes to become a great painter. One day before graduation one of her colleagues shares her plans and knowledge with Eve. It seems that the King nor the teachers are telling the truth. Everything she believed in is a lie. Eve escapes all of this and meets Caleb. They fall in love but with them being fugitives she must choose between safety and love. 

This book is AMAZING!! I don't really know exactly where this books achieves this success or how Anna Carey did it but I just found I was completely absorbed by the book and the characters. I read non stop and finished it in less than a day. I would burst out at random moments screaming for Eve or Caleb, I was nearly crying at the end when Caleb was leaving. This is seriously such a cute, sweet book for all the dreamers and thinkers out there.

Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould

"In Venice, a secret is indeed more powerful than a sword. " - Cross My Heart

Cross my Heart by Sasha Gould is set during the Italian Renaissance. Laura della Scala, the protagonist, is sent to the convent at the age of 10. When her sister dies her father calls her back home to marry her sister's fiancée. Laura despises whom she is to marry, he is completely disgusting. However, all her father cares about is wealth and power. Laura finds out about someone who can help her; they call themselves the Segreta, a secret society of women all they ask is a secret. At the start they seem to help but soon she realises that it may not have been all good. She thinks they link up to the murder of her sister. 

This book will have a similar review to a recent book review I wrote about Ever . It is a very quick read with a short plot. There was quite a lot of mystery but I wouldn't say it was a complex novel. At the end things got quite gruesome but overall I found the story very cute and romantic. 

Ever by Gail Carson Levine

"Fate...may...be...thwarted. [...] I long...for..a happy outcome" - Ever.

Ever by Gail Carson Levine is the intertwining story of Olus, God of the wind, and Kezi, a normal village girl. Olus is much younger than the rest of the gods and longs to live with the mortal humans. One day, when living in Hyte he falls in love with Kezi. Kezi's love for him is reciprocal. Her days, however, are numbered because of an unbreakable oath. This is the story of their love and race to change fate. 

Shakespeare's Apprentice by Veronica Bennett

"My love can never marry a player," said Sam. "But she loves me because I am a player."

Shakespeare's Apprentice by Veronica Bennett is about a teenage boy called Sam Gilbourne. He works in Shakespeare's theatre as an actor. One day, he sees Lucie Cheetham and falls in love with her and she loves him back. But he is a player and she is Lord Essex's niece so they can't get married. They secretly meet and send letters to each other. But will they be able to overcome any obstacle to be together?

This book is set in England from the late 1598 to early 1601. It is historical fiction and romance. Although it is set in the past, it does not have Old English, except for the dialogue, so it is easy to understand. It is written in third person. 

I thought that the first 80 pages were boring. The book got a lot better in the middle but also got a bit repetitive. The first few pages were hard for me to understand because there were so many names so it was hard to remember the characters at the beginning. But after I finished the book, I went back to those pages and it was much easier to understand. This story is very similar to Romeo and Juliet except for the ending. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what life was like in the Shakespeare's theatre company or likes reading romance books. 

The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter

"I suppose a lot of teenage girls feel invisible sometimes, like they just disappear. Well, that's me—Cammie the Chameleon. But I'm luckier than most because, at my school, that's considered cool. I go to a school for spies."

Cammie Morgan attends the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Although the school  appears to be an ordinary private school it is actually a girls' school for spies. Cammie is fluent in 14 languages and can kill a  man in seven different ways. She has been taught advanced martial arts and knows about the latest chemical warfare but she definitely doesn't know how to understand boys.

The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd by Heather Brewer

“If citizens followed their leaders' example throughout history, the human race would have died out centuries ago.”― Ninth Grade Slays

The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd by Heather Brewer follows the story of Vladimir Todd from eighth grade through to twelfth grade. Vlad goes to school like a normal boy and encounters all the problems of a normal boy, from bullying to stress from homework; however he is not normal at all. Vladimir has a big secret, he is a vampire. His parents died and so he lives in the care of Nelly, his mother's best friend. Although he doesn't  want to hurt anyone he can't help being who he is, not even him knows the full extent of his powers. When a substitute teacher comes into the scene he thinks his cover will be blown. Even worse he thinks that the teacher knows more than he should and was connected to his parents' death.    

Torn by Amanda Hocking (Trylle Series)

This will be a short one. BTW if you haven't read the first in the series read our blog on the first book before you read this one :)http://teen-book-review.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/switched-by-amanda-hocking.html


"They'd only shared a few moments together, but she'd made him feel more than he ever had in his entire life."

Torn by Amanda Hocking. This is the second book in the Trylle series. Wendy had reached home but she wasn't to stay long. The Vittra came for her... Why do they want her? Through this book she finds a deeper connection to the Vittra rivals. When she thought she was beginning to get a handle on who she was she finds out that what she knew was just the tip of the iceberg. She is betrothed to one, in love with another and can't stop thinking about someone else. She will have to make the ultimate step and choose between her heart and her kingdom. 

This book was just like the first addictive. It was longer, in term of pages, but it felt really short to read. Although another mystery is uncovered it is obvious to see that this book does not have a very complicated plot. The story itself is quite simple however I found myself believing in those characters and feeling for them. There is nothing better than to immerse yourself in a world that you really believe those characters are real. Amanda Hocking doesn't have a very complex story nor is her writing style the best but she manages to make the story emotional to the readers and that is what I think counts. Just to add to this I was expecting more of the "Bonus Story Inside" mentioned but it was actually just a few extra chapters.

Switched by Amanda Hocking

This is my first blog entry and I don't think I could have chosen a better book to write on. 

Switched by Amanda Hockings is the first book to the Trylle trilogy. It follows the story of a 17 year old girl, Wendy, who discovers that she is a 'changeling'.