Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

“Life, unfortunately, doesn't seem to care what we want.” 

-        - Richelle Mead, Last Sacrifice

Vampire academy follows the story of Rosemarie Hathway. Rose is a ‘dhampir’ – dhampir’s genetics are half human and half vampire. Her job is to protect the Moroi, a form of vampires. The story begins when Rose is taken back to St. Vladimir's Academy, after having fled in order to protect her best friend and Moroi, Vasilisa Dragomir. Vasilisa is the last of the Dragomir line, and is in line for the throne. As they return to the academy, there are still many mysteries and dangers that hunt Vasilisa.

There is not much I want to write, except recommend anyone who likes fantasy and young adult novels. I think that this is one of the better young-adult paranormal novels. I literally spent a whole day reading series, only stopping to eat. This is how entranced by the story I was. This is mainly because of the protagonist. Rosemarie is strong and loyal. She is unlikely many female characters in novels of the same genre.

Richelle Mead is really able to transport the reader onto a journey. The story starts slow, and with every book in the series the story becomes darker, with more action, adventure and more complex story lines. The series is a whirlwind of emotions.

Again, this is really short… Especially because I read this so fast, that it's just a blur. I can't really examine it book by book. What I can say is that the overall series is light, entertaining and very enjoyable.  Kind of sad that they're not making any film sequels...

READ IT! :) Every book gets better

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. 

Solace & Grief by Foz Meadows

Solace and Grief follows the story of a 17 year old girl called Solace. She was raised in a foster care, but when she finds out she is a vampire she is compelled to run away. Soon, she finds herself within a group of other strange young adults. They are part of ‘the Rare’ and each one of them has a ‘Trick’, which is a superpower or a supernatural ability. For example, Jess is a psychic reader, and Solace is a vampire. But soon things start to get a little weird... A Faceless man is stalking her and Professor Lukin is a bit too interested in their ‘Trick’...

This is the first book of a series called The Rare. It is set in Sydney, Australia and I found it interesting that Foz Meadows has used real places in the city but added twists to make them supernatural. At the beginning of the book, the story seemed to be droning on to nowhere. However, some things that seemed irrelevant at the start actually ended up being important towards the end. I didn’t like how Solace and her friends went to the Gadfly and got drunk, then stayed home all day. This seemed to happen several times, and I think it stalled the story a bit. Nevertheless I continued reading, and I’m glad I did.

I loved the variety of characters in the book. They all have different ‘Tricks’ and personalities. I found it a bit hard to remember who was who at the start, because a lot of characters are introduced all at the same time.

The Dead of the Night by John Marsden

In The Dead of the Night, Ellie and her five friends decide to go back to Wirrawee to see if Corrie and Kevin are fine and try to get more information about the Showground. After sharing what they found out they decide to go to see what's on the other side of Hell and hopefully find  more people. 

This is the second book in the Tomorrow series. It's more violent and more adventurous than the first. They kill more soldiers and there are more attacks. Because of this, Ellie feels guilty and feels 'shadows' following her. 'I live in the light, but carry my dark with me' is how she describes what she is feeling. The group continuously change from young and naive teenagers to more experienced and strategic people. They are more careful and aware of the situation that they are in. They are already giving each other advise on how to keep calm when they are attacking and aren't as clueless as they were in the start of the first book. 'When you're scared you can either give in to the panic and let your mind fall apart, or you can take charge of your mind and think brave.'

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

"I didn't feel like a criminal, but I didn't feel like a hero either." Chapter 16 in Tomorrow, When the War Began.


Ellie, the protagonist, and her friends went camping in the bush for a few days. When they come back everything has changed.... A war has started and they are one of the only people in their city that aren't captured. Now they are struggling to stay alive without being captured but not everything turns out how they want it to...

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.

The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

'You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.'

Sherlock Holmes is a series of mystery and crime fiction books. Holmes is a consulting detective and Watson is his sidekick. Together, they solve crimes. Sherlock Holmes has a very strange personality. He is very intelligent and observant but isn't empathetic and usually doesn't say what his thoughts are about the crime only when he has solved everything.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

“Didn't help to ponder things that were forever gone. It only made a body restless and fill up with bees, all wanting to sting something.”  - Chains

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson is a historical fiction novel set in 1776 during the American Revolution. It follows the story of thirteen-year-old girl, Isabel. Her mistress has just died and although this is a mournful period it is also a happy celebration because in her will Isabel and her sister were freed. However, the mistress' relatives do not know this and do not want to know this and sell Isabel and her sister to the highest bidders, who turn out to be a loyalist couple returning back to New York, the Lockton. Mrs Lockton disregards any human emotions of Isabel and uses her cruelly. One day when Mrs Lockton sells Isabel's sister, Isabel turns against her 'owners' and spies on them. 

Inheritance Cycle by Cristopher Paolini

"Knowing is independent of being. I did not know you existed before you bumbled in here and ruined my nap. Yet that doesn't mean you weren't real before you woke me."  - Solembum 

Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. This series, previously meant to be a trilogy, is an epic fantasy series intended for young adults. Eragon  has no idea of who his mother or father are, instead he lives with his uncle, Garrow, and cousin, Roran, which to him they are his father and brother. Eragon helps in the farm as well as with the hunting. One day while hunting he finds a mysterious stone, no one knows what it is but it is fascinating. To his surprise the 'stone' hatches, it was a dragon's egg. Eragon has to flee, learn magic and mature if he is to fulfil his destiny, to become the next dragon rider and kill Galbatorix; the merciless and powerful dictator of the fictional world of Alagaesia. 

 Like many books the Inheritance cycle ponders on the coexistence of good and bad. Eragon himself realises that people might not be generally bad but really do believe their ideas to be beneficial. When Galbatorix talked to Nasuada about his plans there seemed to be some really good basis to what he wanted to achieve. Of course Galbatorix didn't care for people and manipulated them making him the 'baddy' however he made very good points, especially the fact that it was the Varden that went around killing people and then bashed Galbatorix for his cruelty. How do we know if what we believe in is really for the good of humanity? I may believe in something so profoundly that I do not realise that I'm hurting others or it may be that I am hurting others to help the many but in truth there is no line separating the good from the bad but a mix of both in everything.

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.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

“I don't want tea, I want justice!” 

Heist Society and its sequel Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter is a teen spy fiction. Katarina Bishop comes from a family of thieves.Kat tries to escape this life and scams herself into a boarding school where she plans to study and live a normal, honest life. This proves harder than she expected it to be. When her father is blamed for the thievery of major artworks she must be called back in action to clear his name and return the portraits to its original owners. If I say too much more it will spoil the rest of the book but lets just say that by the second book she is back in business but this time alone. She is only stealing what is already stolen, so it isn't bad is it? When she goes back to her family she must face trust issues and when she runs into trouble she starts doubting her skills.

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.    

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.  ~J.K. 

I will write a very brief summary especially as this series is so well known that it doesn't need big introduction. 

On a special night a wizard boy was born with a heroic destiny set out for him. He was the chosen one. He was the only one who ever survived Voldemort's attack. Harry is left with his uncle and aunty who mistreat him because of their fear of all things magic. Harry only finds out he is a wizard on his 11th birthday and from then he finds himself in all kinds of trouble in his new school, Hogwarts. 

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.

Hush Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick

"Love finds its way into the coldest hearts, darkest minds and loneliest of souls"

The Hush Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick. The series is composed of, Hush Hush, Crescendo and Silence (or Tempest as it was previously known.) Nora's life changes dramatically from the moment she laid eyes on Patch. Patch has a dark secret and it doesn't help that Nora is very much attracted to him. She wants to know more but the truth may end up pulling her into the centre of even more trouble. Her normal everyday life turns into a bumpy ride full of angels, nephilims and love.

The hush hush saga was an enthralling fantasy series.