The Knife of Never Letting Go

Title: The Knife of Never Letting Go

Author: Patrick Ness

Illustrator: Lynne Condellon and John Picacio

Genre: Science Fiction
Age: 14+
Pages:  479 (paperback)

Publisher: Candlewick Press

   
        A world where everyone can here everyone’s thoughts and feelings. Wherever you walk there's noise that surrounds you and never leaves. Not when you're alone, not when everyone’s asleep, never! Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown and boys are quite rare because every woman was killed in the Spackle war. The germ that the spackles released years ago had killed every last women. The spackles, an alien species that dominated their planet called new world, which is where Todd lives, were also annihilated during the war. Todd feels, rather than hears, an unbelievable silence, a few weeks before his birthday. Soon, he is told to run away from Prentisstown, but where do you run off to where there's nowhere else to go? In a series of events, the young boy must learn to trust people and accept the fact that everything he thought he knew was a lie! With an army chasing him and a girl at his side, Todd must make choices that may save him or destroy him!

        This was one of my most favorite reads! Starting with the writing style. It was so genius, because you could really "feel" the character. He had his own way of expressing himself and the writing technique used really showed how the characters were. For example: when Todd speaks, he usually says ain't or tradishun or thro. It did take a chapter or two to get used to it, but once you're at that point, it's really worth the trouble. The Knife of Never Letting Go had two major aspects that made the story so great.

        Let's start with the action. Even when the characters were resting somewhere, I was pumped up! The way that the author created this wonderful piece of art was made so that every event seemed interesting. It had what every great book needs and that's captivating your audience on the first few pages. The plot is very well thought out and so it wasn't hard to encourage people to read it, but to make people finish a whole novel can sometimes be a big task.

        Off to my second point. Patrick Ness is one of my favorite authors for developing characters. It's great that there weren’t many characters so he could really focus on the main Protagonists and antagonists. The characters, for me, feel so real. Like Todd can be so believable with his self conciseness and he's never sure of himself, while Aaron is just straight out crazy and sadistic. Even Manchee, Todd's dog, was a very believable and amusing character with the few words he said, or rather thought with his noise. One last thing, this book had a very very good cliffhanger right at the end, and I always like those because it encourages me too buy the second book and I at least know there's something in store for me in book number two!

        The only things I disliked was that the book really liked to go on and on about something as simple as running away. I understand the mechanics behind it, and without this anticipation you would get a very good result in the end story. Yet, it could have been reduced to one chapter of going up a hill and down the hill up a hill and down the hill rather than three.

If you guys want a book too read this is the one! I swear it's going to be well worth the 10$, so make sure to buy it off the link for amazon!

Available on Amazon

Rating 4.5/5

Recap on what's coming soon and why I haven't been that active lately!

Hey guys, first off I want to apologize for not posting much in the last week or so. You can all blame my exams coming soon, but I'll be done school in.. hmm 2 weeks time so if you can bare with me then your in for a treat!

What's coming soon?
Okay guys well, I have many books that need to be ready and I will soon Post a book review of the novel The Knife of Never Letting Go, so watch out for that. The second book two will receive a review and I will post many more reviews as I will be reading a lot this summer so get ready for 1-2 reviews a week at least! Alright so, for the big event, I have Reno Charlton coming on this Saturday to do an author interview. You really have to check it out because it's really interesting! Oh and Lita Burke will be doing an interview about how to create a book trailer which will be very fascinating. The date is still to be discovered so stay tuned guys!

George L. Soriano's Kickstarter Project!

Hey guys, today I wanted to introduce to you a neat project! This is a great way to help out a good author and actually be a part of the founding of a great novel! Depending on the amount you pledge you can receive items from a digital E-book copy too the actual soft covered book signed by the author!

What is George L. Soriano's Kickstarter Project?
The purpose is to raise funds for the completion, publication, and marketing of his novel. Here are links to the kickstarter project and the blog for his novel. A preview of the first chapter is available on George's blog.
Kisktarter Project Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1406744043/sunhammer-the-adventures-of-madison-thornton?ref=email
George's Blog Link: http://sunhammermadison.blogspot.ca/


Novel Blurb: Kalen and Madison have a unique relationship. Madison, a teen aged girl, is the reincarnated form of Zhuron Zhang, an evil and powerful being from earth’s ancient history. Kalen is her present day guardian, charged with the responsibility of guiding her to the side of good. She doesn’t believe that Madison can ever be trusted or turned away from her evil past. But as they battle increasingly stronger supernatural threats, the more Kalen sees that Madison may be a last hope in the face of a looming apocalypse

About the Author: George L. Soriano, a writer living in MI, is using Kickstarter.com to help publish his novel and sidestep traditional methods. In order to boost funds and backers, George is offering Kickstarter rewards not usually associated with novels and print media. Some of his Kickstarter rewards include audio commentary and even a mini soundtrack. His novel, titled “SunHammer: The Adventures of Madison Thornton”, is an urban fantasy tale aimed at young adults. George offers a free preview of the first chapter on his blog.

Why are you still reading this? Shouldn't you be pledging a few pennies and dimes right now?

The Vampire Returns: Secret Portal 2

Title: The Vampire Returns: Secret Portal 2

Author: Reno Charlton

Illustrator: Sarah Higgins

Genre: Children's Fantasy

Age: 8-12

Pages: 178 (paperback)

Publisher: Createspace

        Jack, Simon, James, and Dean all attend Earls, where it's had its fair share of abnormality. Last year the four boys had found a portal to a second world. A world filled with angels, gnomes, witches, and vampires. Of course, as the title says, it was a secret portal and only the four buddies, as well as a few other friends from the other world knew about it. The portal looked liked an innocent adventure to a magical land, until a dangerous vampire named Gore, slipped through to the human world and almost managed to escape. The vampire sure did deal quite a few casualties and also left his mark. In this new exciting novel, the vampire is BACK! Without the help of the two worlds Gore may be able to roam the world freely and create havoc wherever he walks!

       
        Reno's second novel of the series was wonderful! She did a great job intertwining both worlds. I did enjoy that it contained much more plot twists then the first one. It was somewhat predictable, but not too the point where it becomes a bore. At one point I was actually quite pleased with myself because I predicted a plot twist, then I found out that another one was added and I was sourly wrong about my first prediction! The story is simple but effective. It can be read without having read the first book of the series, yet you won't get confused nor get bored if you haven't. Reno did an amazing job leaving some information out, and some might find that disgraceful, but for me it just makes me love it more! The ending was extraordinary! It summed up everything quite well and left the reader on a clfft-hanger. It's a very good method also used in the Harry Potter novels and many more!

        The fact that this novel could be read without having read the first one is a good thing. Although it seemed like the author assumed we had read her other book in the series and thus the characters aren't that complex and somewhat dull. If you do write a second novel and you make it a semi-stand alone novel, you must make sure to add in the characters qualities and flaws.

Sadly, this book lacked the "fantasy" aspect. Yes I know, what more fantastic can you be given then witches, vampires, and magical spells? My answer to that is: The fantastic world that goes with it. We couldn't and didn't see much of the environment and the surroundings. You cannot have a fantasy novel without the landscape to go with it! For a second and last novel of a series, this book was very well done. I really liked it and I encourage any young readers to at least read the first few chapters.

Available on Amazon

Rating: 3/5

This is the second book of the series. If you haven't read the first one ----> Click Here

      

     

      

   

First Interview: Reno Charlton!

Hey guys, I'm very excited because I'm planning my first ever author interview. This weeks author shall be Reno Charlton, author of The Secret Portal, and The Vampire Returns: The Secret Portal 2. You can find Review for the first book of the series can be found here. Now's your time to get involved dedicated readers! If you have read or are willing to read Reno's books, you may ask post any questions relevant and i'll pick a few to add in the interview. If you havn't had time to read her books yet then please take the time and ask a question of interest and I'll try to include them!

Dance Of The Goblin

Title: Dance of the Goblin

Author: Jaq D. Hawkins

Illustrator:  Regina Curtis

Genre: Fantasy

Age: 12+

Pages: 282 (paperback)

Publisher: International Waters

        The goblin race has been known to only a few and survived in secrecy. An accident of timing soon changes the world forever, brining the goblins and the humans on the brink of war. Of course that doesn't change the fact that Haghuf and Talla will try at everything to save their race's identity. With the help of their fellow human magician, Count Anton, they are brought to the surface of the Earth and are thrown into numerous conflicts they cannot keep at bay!

        Oh this wonderful fantasy novel, I do have many mixed opinions and feelings towards it. Of course I have to hand it to the author. The world that she has created was breathtaking. It was clearly thought of for a long time and the history behind it was splendid. It's really nice to get a novel, especially a fantasy novel, which will tell you it's race's history throughout your reading. The goblins themselves were very amusing and I'm really sad we didn't see much of them. By that I mean different goblin characters. I did enjoy their abilities that help them survive, or however you want to explain it.

        Mrs. Hawkins did a wonderful job with her characters. Well let's put Tala to the side for now, Haghuf and Anton's relationship was very relatable. They made me think of best friends actually. Both of them knew each other quite well and they always seem to have a hint of inside jokes or some kind of teasing at their disposal. Talla for some reason didn't stand out too me as much as the other 2 characters. For one, she made me think of a helpless princess most of the time, and she didn't possess the wisdom or knowledge that Haghuf and Anton had. The fantasy magic wasn't too much explained and it wasn't fairy-tale like, also the loose ends urged me on to read the next book. My biggest pride in this novel is how they related the "human world" so well. They described the humans as ignorant creatures who seek comfort in materialism because they have forgotten they were creatures of magic. I'll post the full quote at the end of the review but I found it quite exact to a degree.

        As for my disappointments, this novel seemed like a big documentary. Yes I did enjoy the history of the goblins, but it just became overly complicated for myself. The action was never present in my mind. The first few hundred pages lacked the engaging paragraphs that a good fantasy novel needs. I had a hard time passing that great brick wall of boredom and of course once the so called "action" arrived, I just couldn't feel it. (I'll be very contradictory in this review, so I apolagize for that.) As far as the romance goes, I thought that the author tried to put it in there but might have failed miserably. The goblins society has a mindset of surviving, and as for "couples" it's mostly only business!

        My favorite quote: ‘Because I never want to forget that I am alive,’ answered Haghuf. ‘That is what makes us different from them. They sink into the decline of routine for the sake of a safe and comfortable life, yet it is one without adventure, without that spark which makes us what we are. They seek comfort in materialism because they have forgotten what they were meant to be, creatures of magic, who perpetuate the chaos as we do. Now they are nothing. Parasites! They destroy all on the earth without thought for any species but their own because they have sunk into the depression that should have led to their extinction centuries ago, and they refuse to die because they have too much intelligence to allow it to happen. They invent ways of continuance, and entertainments to give it some meaning, yet waste their potential in everlasting toil and the pursuit of an illusory dream of leisure which they deny themselves for the very sake of working towards its possibility. They haven’t worked it out yet, but they have condemned themselves, all of their species, to the perpetual Hell of their own mythology.’

Available on Amazon
Author's site: jaqdhawkins.co uk
Author's Blog: http://indiewritenet.com/jaqdhawkins/

My Rating: 2.5/5

Gone

Title: Gone

Author: Michael Grant

Illustrator: -----

Genre: Science Fiction

Age: 12-14

Pages: 576 (paperback)

Publisher: HarperCollins

        Gone... This is what everyone is saying over and over in their minds. Everyone over the age of 15 has vanished in Perdido beach. One second they were standing there talking, and then "poof" they were gone! Soon mass confusion breaks out and Sam Temple takes it upon himself to take charge of the situation. With his small group of friends, (Astrid, Quinn, and Edilio) they run around town trying to take in the situation and what caused it. They discover that a round sphere has been placed around the area and you can't get out! They call it the Fays (Fallout Alley Youth Zone). A new rebel group of kids from Coates Academy (a school for rich yet "troubled" students) arrive and take over the town. Sam discovers that he and a few other kids have powers and he and Caine (the leader of the Coates kids) are the only ones with a four bar power. Soon mutations start to grow and a war against Caine and his thugs is breaking loose. An unknown species called the Darkness is growing and needs to be fed! Will Sam and his friend discover the mystery behind the Fayz?

        A compelling novel with a twist at every turn! Grant used his great storytelling skills to develop this amazing Sci-Fi novel. The novel Gone has a very original plot. I mean a town where everyone over the age of 15 just disappears, it's just genius! The way Michael Grant brought an un-realistic situation and the characters developed realistic response to it was very interesting. I actually believe that if this sort of events happened today, I would act in familiar ways as the characters. This made the story very entertaining yet not predictable. The characters inner conflicts are sometimes revealed but we see them more and more as the story progresses and it really helps us relate and get to know the characters. The Evil against Good was somewhat apparent in the book yet I did enjoy how they always twist it around a bit and at some point they don't have a choice but to fight evil with evil. For once, a great novel contains just the right amount of romance. Not enough to change the thrilling action into a boring lovey-dovey fairytale story, but enough to make you want to see how they'll end up!

        Ok... well as a reader I do enjoy if the author writes about more than one character, but at some point too much is too much! I didn't mind the chapters that switched too Sam, then Caine's thugs and then back Sam etc. Although sometimes you'd have Lanna's Point of View, which in my opinion was really boring and unnecessary. Then sometimes you had Mary's Point of view, again really boring. I do understand that those characters, or point of views were essential, but who cares about a small daycare center when Sam's off fighting monsters right?!

        To summarize, Gone is a very action packed and mysterious Sci-Fi novel, with tons of plot twist that makes you want to read more and more!

Available on Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Brotherband Chronicles: The Outcasts

Title: The Brotherband Chronicles: The Outcasts

Author: John Flanagan

Illustrator: Jeremy Reston

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Age: 10+

Pages: 434 (hardcover)

Publisher: Philomel

        The outcast. This is what Hal has been considiered for many years. His father was a mighty Skandian warrior, one of the best actually, but died in battle. Hal is fatherless and to top it all off his mother is Aarluen making him half Skandian and half Aarluen. He's constantly teased because of his size. Hal learns too acknowledge that size isn't what matters the most. Thorn, a friend of Hal's father, looks after the undersized boy, and teaches him what being a Skandian is all about. Soon afterwards the Brotherband training starts, which is a training program for young boys to teach them all there is too know about being a warrior. Every year, 3 brotherbands are formed, and they select a leader. This year only 2 leaders are selected and the 8 boys who aren't chosen form a brotherband. These boys are known as outcasts for various reasons yet together they form a long-lasting relationship and work together. Hal learns the difficulties of being a leader, with his intelligence and skill, him and his group might just have a chance at winning the competitions between the brotherbands! Meanwhile, a ship arrives at Hallasholm, the Capitol of Skandia, claiming they needed repairs for their ship. Yet the Oberjal doubts that this is their real motives and must find out what they are up too before it's too late!

        In many ways, this adventure is what I've always dreamed about. For me a "school" where you'd learn combat skills is genius! I loved how Hal never won any competition with strength. Also I enjoyed how the competitions varied altogether and that you never knew who would win. You kind of had to evaluate the teams skill overall and predict which team would be better for which competition, in other words it felt like I was watching a sports game on Television. Very unsual right? The characters were easy to enjoy. They were simple yet had something special. Most of them had various flaws but could counter them somehow. First they had to learn how to do so. The characters relationships towards each other were somewhat predictable but none of the less they were present, which made the book all the more enjoyable. The flow was good, it could maybe had a few improvements here and there, but I liked the points of views. In many books there are just too many that are too long. And usually I enjoy one character much more than the others. In this novel John Flanagan clearly understood the concept of keeping his readers on board!

        I thought that the part with Zavac a bit out of the blue. It might have been necessary for the next books but I didn't enjoy those parts and wanted to get back to the brotherband training. Also, it's a bit odd that the Oberjal doesn't have more guards and couldn't just stop Zavac and his small crew. Also, I'm a small fan of a bit of romance in my books, and I was very disappointed when they didn't elaborate on Hal's relationship with Lotte. They were only mentioned twice and it wasn't much. I didn't enjoy the idea of the books surrounded by a boat theme really, but even I who hasn't even been on a boat I could follow really easily.

        I would really recommend this book, if you have read the Rangers Apprentice series and are doubting to get this book, I suggest you do so. I was skeptical about it at first, but I learned soon enough not to have any prejudice.

   

Available on Amazon

    

Rating: 3.5/5



Scorpia

Title: Scorpia

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Illustrator: Jack Pare

Genre: Adventure

Age: 12+

Pages: 312 (paperback)

Publisher: Scholastic

      
        Alex Rider isn't any ordinary school boy of 14 years old. No, he's in fact part of the Secret British Intelligence Agency, called M16. Our adventure is soon drifting towards Venice, where Alex was told by Yassen on his previous mission that he had to go seek out Scorpia in order to learn about his father and his destiny. He soon finds the terrorist group Scorpia, and is recruited with ease into their ranks after Julia Rothman, one of the head of Scorpia, show's him proof of his father's assassination performed by M16. As the novel progresses, so does the characters, but Alex discovers a flaw within himself. He is unable to perform cold blooded assassinations! Whatever the circumstances of the young boys abilities, Scorpia had never planned to keep him alive long enough for him to excel within their ranks. Within a few days time, their new project, Invisible Sword, will be launched and hundreds of thousands of London School kids shall die! Including Alex Rider!

        Scorpia, the fifth book in the Alex Rider series, was thrilling and adventurous! For one, I haven't read any of the previous book in the series, and I could jump right into it, The book gave me some back story and the plot was really easy to pick up. The book, has a lot of action from the very beginning, which I find rare in many novels. The mystery in the book is really well written, and I didn't expect what was Scorpia was planning or what Invisible Sword was. The author did a really great job putting some emphasis on the characters, and if you look close enough you can see their wit or their emotions in general, which was really easy to relate with. This is what made me so into Alex's adventurs. Without any emphasis on the characters a story, with a great plot, will go nowhere! As good as the characters were the relationship between characters was lacking. Maybe it's the fact that I didn't read the first four books but throughout the book Alex is usually alone and I couldn't decide whether he loved or disliked his father. Maybe Alex himself couldn't decide either but none of the less it was a bit disappointing. The setting description was fairly well done, yet I sometimes found myself lost in the reading and couldn't really quite understand where the character was.

        As you guys might know, I'm a huge fantasy fan, and this book changed my perspective on mystery/adventure books. If they'd be all as good as the Alex Rider series, I think I'd be addicted to that genre!

Available on Amazon

Rating: 3/5

     

        

Teaser Tuesdays (May 1)


May 1, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:



• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser for this week!

 

This is my second Teaser, I hope you like it!

 

The crowd became quiet, and all turned to look towards the river. There was no

one to be seen. Then through the void left by the silence of early dawn and the

suddenly hushed men, a sound was heard. It was like the sound of metal hitting rock,

as if miners were digging in the middle of the city. It did not come from the river, but

from a part of the city behind them, where none would ordinarily go. Ranalf had only

been there once, just a few days previously when they had gone on the search for the

missing man...

Available on Amazon