Hi there! I’m Kay: an opinionated book blogger enamoured with the world of novels. Reader of Speculative Fiction (the posh word for Sci-Fi/Fantasy) and Young Adult novels. Believer in the many uses of the towel, the science of deduction and other fandom in-jokes.
This blog has been closed since early 2016. To the publishers and writers: thanks for all the support over the years. To my readers and fellow bloggers: keep in touch!
Recent Reviews
Review: Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
Sea Change by Aimee FriedmanPublished by Scholastic on June 1st 2009
Pages: 292
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Sixteen-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science... and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate.
There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship. . .and reality.
Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?
Thoughts: Oh my, this book was so very very lovely. I realised the other day that I hadn’t reviewed it and – even though I read it months ago – I knew I had to post something about it. Because, like many standalone novels, I feel like Sea Change doesn’t quite get the press it ought to!
Let’s start off with the main character, Miranda, who I absolutely adored. She had a thirst for logical answers that I could completely relate to. And, on occasion, she wanted something completely out-of-the-box illogical… which I could also relate to! She is a scientist with an artistic heart. Unlike a lot of YA novels, Miranda’s mother plays a key role in this novel, and in Miranda’s overall development. While Miranda had a lovely but realistic relationship with her mother before the book – over the course of the novel, her mother begins to act most peculiarly. She begins to seem rather foreign to Miranda… and it is scary, having someone you love seem different. I loved how their whole plot line developed – realistic but beautiful.
While Sea Change is a paranormal novel with real romantic elements in it, it is a coming of age novel above all. That isn’t something that usually makes me pick up a book, but in Sea Change it was perfect. While there is a slight paranormal mystery, uncovering the answers to the island is not the most important part of the book. Miranda needed to find the answers to herself (does that sound deep, or what?). And when she does, the book ends.
And, oh, what an ending! I love books that leave you wondering; books that leave you hopeful yet still thinking. Aimee Friedman doesn’t answer all the book’s questions – and trust me when I say that you will love her for that.
Bottom line? Sea Change is a beautiful, mystical, romantic YA novel that I can easily recommend. Get a copy!
Monday Reading (Sept. 5th, 2011)
In this weekly event hosted by One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books where we discuss what we’ve been reading this week (and, occasionally, what we haven’t).
Currently reading:
- Beastly by Alex Finn – Upon reading this I came to the following realisation: the Beast really is a jerk. I mean, yeah, I know he was mean to start off with – hence the curse – but I always just thought he just made a stupid mistake. Seeing everything from his POV? It has really changed my perspective!
- State of Wonder by Ann Patchett – Now that the main character has arrived in Brazil, this book is really picking up!
Finished this week:
- Hourglass by Claudia Gray – Wow, did I ever dislike this book. It has been a long time since I’ve loathed characters as much as I did Hourglass’. Read my review here.
- Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund – I LOVED this book. My only regret is that there isn’t a second or a third in the series for me to pick up! This book was an absolute joy to read: YA Science Fiction with a fantastic relationship at its core. Can’t recommend it enough.
Up next from my TBR Pile of DOOM:
- Maybe some Sarah Dessen? I bought Last Chance a while ago as an introduction to her writing. I hope she’s as good as everyone makes her out to be!
Review: Hourglass by Claudia Gray
Hourglass by Claudia GraySeries: Evernight #3
Published by HarperCollins, HarperTeen
Pages: 256
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.
After escaping from Evernight, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas seek refuge with Black Cross, an elite group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at its hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—all her secrets threaten to come out.
Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful vampires of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they run, Bianca can't escape her destiny. Bianca and Lucas have always believed their love could survive anything—but can it survive what's to come?
Seriously. That’s it. But just because the book was readable, that doesn’t mean I’d recommend you actually read it. In Hourglass, all the things that had once merely annoyed me about Claudia Gray’s series amalgamated into 300+ pages of pure hell.
My problem with this novel – and the entire series, now that I think about it – is that it all revolves around the hideous Lucas/Bianca relationship. And guess what? I would pay money to have both of those characters killed. They are just so utterly and terribly self-involved – hideously self-involved. Every single waking thought that Bianca has revolves around Lucas… and yet, she seems more in love with being in love than she is with him. *spoilers* When Lucas is literally dying in her arms, is she thinking about him? Is she utterly distraught beyond recognition? No. She is comparing herself to Juliet watching Romeo die in her arms… seriously?? *end of spoilers* I mean, people complain about the Twilight series? Seriously? Bella is absolutely nothing compared to Bianca.
And, you know what, that would be fine if this were any other series. But in the Evernight world, Bianca and Lucas being together doesn’t just affect them – it affects everyone else too (although, mostly due to their stupidity and inability to form a plan – they could have found a nice island to live on if they had been more with it). Bianca and Lucas will commit crimes and condone murder in order to stay together. And I find that kind of selfishness absolutely loathsome. Your relationship is NOT more important than someone’s life. Full stop.
Bottom line? Even hardcore YA Paranormal Romance fans should stay far far away from this series.
In My Mailbox (August 28th, 2011)
In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren (inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie) and indulges bookish voyeurism by letting bloggers show off what books they’ve gotten in their mailbox.
So, I got booooooks this week. Finally!
- Cheat the Grave and The Neon Graveyard by Vicki Pettersson – These are the final two books in the Zodiac series – and I’m afraid I had to go out and get the horrid US covers. I would have gotten the UK ones… if they existed.
- Corsets and Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances (Trisha Telep) – OK, yes this editor has gotten a whole lot of heat lately. And I completely and utterly understand (and agree) with that. But this anthology features a bunch of my very favourite authors (including some that pulled out of other anthologies because of Telep), so they are the ones I am reading for. I’m talking about Ann Aguirre, Maria V. Snyder, and Caitlin Kittredge (among others, of course).
- Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles – WHOOT!
- Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin – This is a vampire novel written by a living legend in fantasy… and it is set on a riverboat. What more can you possibly ask for?
- Chime by Franny Billingsley – When I had first heard about this book, I hadn’t been at all interested. Not only little bit. And then my twitter lit up with comments about it (then amazon had it on sale for £3.50), and suddenly I found myself looking forward to getting my hands on it.
And that’s all! What did you get in your mailbox?
WoW: Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that are being eagerly anticipated.
Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar
YA – Goodreads – February 2012 by Penguin Books AustraliaFor Abbie, the ocean is a refuge and the only place she feels in touch with her wilder, truer self. But when her step-cousin Kane returns from a surf trip with something to conceal, she learns that what the sea wants, the sea shall have … A page-turning gothic thriller from award-winning author Kirsty Eagar.
From the author: “It’s about art, the ocean, and the very dark things that feed the creative process … There’s surfing in there, and a look at the idea of ownership. But mainly it’s about a girl called Abbie and a guy called Kane.”
I’ve heard fantastic things about Kirsty Eagar’s other novels, so when I saw the summary (and cover) to Night Beach on Goodreads I knew I had to get a copy. This book just sounds so very dark and gothic – all while keeping focus on the treacherous ocean waters… I really can’t wait to read it!
Kirsty is an Australian novelist and I’m afraid none of her novels have been published outside Oz. But with fabulous Aussie/NZ sites like Fishpond, those of us across the seas can get ahold of her books!