Review: Fallen

As promised, here is my review of Fallen which is written by Lauren Kate. Fallen was the first book I read as part of the read-a-thon. It's taken a long time to get this review up! Here is the blurb:

Daniel's gaze caught hers, and her breath caught in her throat. She recognized him from somewhere. But she would have remembered meeting someone like him. She would have remembered feeling as absolutely shaken up as she did right now.

But what do you do when the person you've spent your whole life looking forkeeps slipping out of your grasp? What if the person you are meant to be with can never be yours?

Dangerously addictive and darkly romantic, FALLEN is the ultimate gothic love story - a page turning thriller about fallen angels.

I. Loved. This. Book.

You can't comprehend my love of this book! I just... argh... what I mean to say is, I am sorely tempted to re-read this book. And I shall be getting it as a present for my friend for Christmas. It is also exactly a month until the release of Fallen in shops!

Characters? The main character is a girl called Luce. She is a very likeable character who has been sent to Sword & Cross by her parents. Sword & Cross seems to be a school for those who have had, or caused, bad things to happen. It's like a reform school. Luce was sent there after the night of the fire, but I won't say anymore than that. You'll have to read the book to find out what happened that night.

Cam is a good looking, sweet guy. He takes an interest in Luce and is always looking out for Luce. Unfortunately, everytime Luce wants to have a proper conversation and get to know Cam, she is interrupted by Gabbe, a blonde girl who Luce can't help but take a bit of a dislike too.

The other main male character is Daniel. He is "sublimely gorgeous". And Luce feels like she knows him, even when she believes she would remember someone like him. But any attempts to get to know Daniel are shunned by his outward attempts at distancing himself from her. So why does Luce feel drawn to Daniel if he clearly doesn't want to get to know her?

The plot of this book is amazing, I never would have guessed the truth of what was happening! It had me hooked until the end and I had to take a minute at the end of reading this (during the readathon) to just smile and remember how great the book was - and maybe some squealing and yearning for the next book Torment.

The ending? I'm sorry but if you choose to buy this book and read to the end, you will be left in suspense for the next book, Torment.

Overall, this book was superb! I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved it! And I'm buying it as a present for my friend for Christmas!

Characters - 10/10 (and I've worked out that I'm not a good judge of character)

Plot - 10/10 -but I'd give it more if I could-

Hookability (ability to keep you reading) - 10/10

Yup, that's full marks - 30/30

I really did love it =)

Oh Dear

That blog everyday until Christmas didn't go well. Oops. And the annoying thing is I have half of some reviews written for posts. I'm back at school this week. What's been happening with me recently?

On Sunday I was in a dance show at some theatre whose name escapes me! It was really fun (and scary)! I was in two dances. One was a street jazz dance. The other was contemporary. It was nerve racking but I enjoyed it =)

Discussion Thursday

I only do "Discussion Thursday" occasionally beacause I don't always have questions. Today's questions are ones that I'm sure have been asked before but I'm interested to read your answers.

Where do you get the majority of your books?
I get mine from bookshops (mainly Watersone's). I also go occasionally to the library but it is never really that current. I also buy books from the library sale (10p per teenage fiction - bargain!). I don't use BookMooch or PaperbackSwap (I think that's the name?). I also buy books from charity shops - you never know what hidden treasures you'll find.

For those of you who use BookMooch or PaperbackSwap, what do you think of it?

And if you get books from a source other than those I've mentioned please feel free to add it in your comments.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill of Breaking the Spine.

I'm going to share with you only one book this week =)

Today's Book is "The Thirteen Curses" which is the follow on book from "The Thirteen Treasures", written by Michelle Harrison. Here is the blurb:

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?

I loved "The Thirteen Treasures" so I'm excited to read this. According to Simon & Schuster UK it is released in January 2010. Bring on January!

What books did everyone else pick for WoW?

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Today's teaser comes from Fallen. It's from page
"There were no monsters, her parents assured her, but Luce's repeated insistence on the presence of something wobbly and dark had gotten her several appointments with the family eye doctor, and then glasses, and then appointments with the ear doctor when she made the mistake of describing the hoarse whooshing noise that the shadows sometimes made - and then therapy, and the more therapy, and finally the prescription for antipsychotic medication.

But nothing ever made them go away."

So what teasers does everyone else have?

Reviews Up Tomorrow

Sorry a review wasn't up today, I'm working on my new schedule (I'm back to work =D)! Yay!
Bit hopefilly my review of Fallen should be up tomorrow. I'm going to work on getting the Read-a-Thon reviews up one day at a time. Adios!

Big Box Challenge: Something Like Fate

This is a separate contest to my last post. The idea of this contest was to produce our own cover for the book, Something Like Fate. The link for this is still the same, it's just Option 3. Check out Cindy's blog, you know you want to =)

This is my cover:

Big Box Challenge

For those of you who don't know Princess Bookie aka Cindy has been hosting a heap load of competitions. I chose to make my remake of the cover for Sleepless by Thomas Fahy. This is the original:

And this is my version:

I apologise for the picture quality (I don't know how to make it any better but when it is enlarged it looks awful). It says Sleepless at the top, the author's name at the very bottom. And in the middle it says, "Sometimes it's just too dangerous for you to go to sleep..."

Here is the link to Princess Bookie's "Big Box Challenge".

Edit to add: I've just worked out if you click on the picture it goes to a new page where it's enlarged and looks okay =D

Mini Challenge

Princess Bookie has some contests still running so check her blog out (the link is at the bottom).

Name 8 of your favourite things:
Do people count as things? I'm going to say no.
1. Chocolate (Seriously, it's an essential part of my day)
2. Books (you know you love them =))
3. Laptop (so I can talk to all my friends... and blog of course)
4. Mobile Phone (to talk to people) -haha I read that and all I've done is describe the use of a mobile-
5. Ooh this is getting difficult. A kettle! How else could I make a cup of tea?
6. Candles (I may be a bit of a pyromaniac. What can I say in my defence? I love fire. There's something beautiful about it. As well as its raging destructive side)
7. The toilet. I'm not joking. Imagine having to go in a hole outside. And I need to go which is why the idea came to me =D
8. Last but not least, a camera. So I can record all the great moments I've had with people.

Here is a link to the mini challenge:
http://www.princessbookie.com/2009/10/surpise-contest-take-2.html

Dewey's Read-a-Thon Finished

Okay I've finished Dewey's read-a-thon! Yay! In my tiredness I found it extrememly funny that the day that was picked lasted 25 hours (clocks go back). My mother had told me but I didn't pay much attention. And then I woke up (I set my alarm - if I was going to sleep it was going to be a monitored amount - enough to keep my sanity cos I get cranky) and I woke and looked at the clock. I turned on my laptop to say that I was coming back to read and noticed the time difference. I was so confused and a little freaked... and then it dawned on me. I've never been a morning person.

And whatever genius says you learn more in the mornings really isn't that smart.... because I can barely keep my eyes open in the morning, let alone focus on anything. Although I managed it =D

Out of 25 hours, I read for 17 hours (assuming my math is correct).

And now I want to say a big thank you to those supported me through the read-a-thon (even though I did fall asleep it was my own fault and I don't think it's bad reading time for my first go, I might make it the full 24 hours if the date for April fits my schedule). Oh my God, I've just realised I've been blogging since April. Sorry I'm rambling and I'm not even sleep deprived.

Anywaaaay, thank you to all the cheerleaders/fellow reader-a-thoners and just anyone who left a comment! You were all really supportive. I shall aim to finish the book I'm on over the course of the day (although I'm still only half way - although it's goood) . And I shall get my reviews to you of the books I've read steadily over the next few days - I'm still under contract to blog everyday till Christmas.

I didn't read all that much but I've never been a fast reader. Here is what I read:
Fallen by Lauren Kate - 452 pages
Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker - 170 pages
Chrysalis The Awakening by M.L. Lacy (still reading) - On page 305

Total pages = 972 pages

Next time, whenever that might be, I shall aim for a thousand pages (which I can achieve if I make it the full 24 hours - I hope).

So I'm going to chill everyone. I'll end by saying:
Well Done to everyone else and Thank You =)