Book Review: Acid

Acid

by Emma Pass

Published: April 2013 by Random House 

Version: Ebook from publisher and Netgalley (review my own, honest opinion)

Rating: 4.5 sofas

The year is 2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID—the most brutal controlling police force in history—rule supreme. No throwaway comment or whispered dissent goes unnoticed—or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a horrendous crime she struggles to remember. But Jenna’s violent prison time has taught her how to survive by any means necessary. 

When a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed, and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID, and try to uncover the truth about what really happened on that terrible night two years ago. They have taken her life, her freedom, and her true memories away from her. How can she reclaim anything when she doesn’t know who to trust?

Strong, gritty writing, irresistible psychological suspense, and action consume the novel as Jenna struggles to survive against the all-controlling ACID. Seriously sinister stuff.

From the cover alone, I knew I had to read this book. It looks awesome with a powerful protagonist. I got approved on Netgalley for it around the release, but for one reason or another I never got round to it. BIG MISTAKE. I know other bloggers who absolutely adore it, and now I know why.

We meet Jenna in dystopian-Britain who has been put in jail for the murder of her parents. One of the things I love about dystopian novels is how real they can be, and scary to think that this COULD be our future. Acid does just that. In the future, ACID is the governing body, and they are not afraid to show it.

I think Jenna is one of my favourite female main characters. She has a lot of courage and spunk, especially when we learn about some of the things she has been through. Although she is continuously knocked down she never gives up, and I really admire her for that. There was a little bit of romance, but I liked that it didn’t overpower the story itself. 

The only reason I couldn’t give Acid 5 sofas was because the story was just a little too predictable. Although I think the storyline is great and there are several twists along the way, you just can’t get rid of the stereotypical dystopian storyline. As such, I kind of knew where the book was gonna end up, but its how we got there that really makes the story unique.

If Acid is a book that (like me) you didn’t read on its release, I implore you to do so now. It is original and thrilling, with plenty of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. One of the most intense debut novels of this year! 4.5 sofas.

Letterbox Love #35

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey of Narratively Speaking whereby book lovers can exhibit the books they received this week.

A tiny haul for me this week!        

Received for Review:

The Queen of Dreams by Peter Hamilton

I wasn’t expecting this in the post but it looks amazing, and I love the squirrel on the cover! Thanks Random House.  

Twinmaker by Sean Williams

My first review book from Electric Monkey, and its a whopper!

Bought:

I Am J  by Cris Beam

It’s Our Prom (So Deal With It) by Julie Ann Peters

Borrowed:

In Bloom by Matthew Crow

I was lucky enough to meet Jim at an event this week, and he very kindly lent me his copy of this book! He says its BETTER THAN TFIOS. 

What did you receive this week? Have you read any of my books and do you think it should be at the top or the bottom of my to read pile?  I’d love to hear from you! 

Letterbox Love #34

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey of Narratively Speaking whereby book lovers can exhibit the books they received this week.

Double event time this week! Apologies for the lateness of this post, but it has been manic.        

Received for Review:

Geek Girl 2: Model Misfit by Holly Smale

I’m SO happy to finally have my own copy of this, thanks to Harper Collins! I read the ebook version, and review to come soon! (Spoiler: It was epic 😀 )  

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Thanks very much to Quercus! Look out for the cover reveal posted on Monday for this one.

Shadowlark by Meagan Spooner

Thanks Random House! This looks good but is the second in a series so not sure when I’ll be able to read it.

Bought:

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

The Running Dream by Wendelin van Draanen

Won:

Love Is a Number by Lee Monroe

This is a second copy. I originally won this from Michelle at Much Loved Books, but thought it had got lost in the post so they kindly sent a second copy, and now I have both of them! I don’t understand the postal system.

Swapped:

Call Down Thunder by Daniel Finn

Vanished by Meg Cabot

Thanks very much to Georgia for these! I love a good book swap 😀

Tempest and Vortex by Julie Cross

Shift by Em Bailey

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

Thanks Lucy! I can’t wait to read the Julie Cross books and Dead to You was a lovely surprise.

The Farm by Emily McKay

Thanks to Katie for this one which I’ve had my eye on for a while!

What did you receive this week? Have you read any of my books and do you think it should be at the top or the bottom of my to read pile?  I’d love to hear from you! 

Letterbox Love #33

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey of Narratively Speaking whereby book lovers can exhibit the books they received this week.

This week I am RESTRAINED. (sort of).      

Received for Review:

Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

Lisa you are a star! Random House I ADORE YOU for sending a copy of this.  

Pawn by Aimee Carter

I know, I know, I shouldn’t be requesting any books. But this looks awesome, thanks Netgalley and Mira Ink.  

Unaccompanied Minor by Hollis Gillespie

Thanks Netgalley and Adams Media, this sounds exciting.

Bought:

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

What did you receive this week? Have you read any of my books and do you think it should be at the top or the bottom of my to read pile?  I’d love to hear from you! 

Letterbox Love #31

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey of Narratively Speaking whereby book lovers can exhibit the books they received this week.

Yay book post 😀     

Received for Review:

Siege by Sarah Mussi

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

Thanks to Hodder for sending me these lovely copies! 

Shine by Candy Gourlay

I love surprise books! Thanks very much Random House.

Perfect Ruin by Lauren Destefano

Eek! I requested this a little while ago and Harper Voyager have kindly sent a manuscript. 

Geek Girl 2: Model Misfit by Holly Smale

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Perhaps my MOST anticipated book of 2013, I am absolutely dying to read this. Drop everything, this book is next to read 😀 Thanks Netgalley and Harper Collins. 

Bought:

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

Boys Don’t Cry by Malorie Blackman

Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom by Brendan Halpin and Emily Franklin

 Won:

Shipwrecked by Siobhan Curham

Thanks to Siobhan for signing and sending me this! I can’t remember where I actually won it from, so if it was you then let me know 🙂

Swapped/Gifted:

Winter Damage by Natasha Carthew

Drummer Girl by Bridget Tyler

Eep! Thanks Hawwa from It was Lovely Reading You for sending these over! Sooooooooooo excited for Drummer Girl! 

        

What did you receive this week? Have you read any of my books and do you think it should be at the top or the bottom of my to read pile?  I’d love to hear from you! 

Book Review: Time Between Us

Time Between Us

by Tamara Ireland Stone

Published: 4th July 2013 by Random House

Version: Paperback from publisher (review my own, honest opinion)

Rating: 4.5 sofas

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett has the unique ability to travel through time and space, which brings him into Anna’s life, and with him a new world of adventure and possibility.

As their relationship deepens, the two face the reality that time may knock Bennett back to where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate, what consequences they can bear in order to stay together, and whether their love can stand the test of time.

Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, Time Between Us is a stunning, spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new voice in YA fiction.

As soon as I heard the comparison to The Time Traveller’s Wife, I knew I had to read this book. While they are quite different, I loved Time Between Us just as much. Bennett can travel in time, and can take things and people with him. When he stumbles into Anna in 1995 looking for his sister, he decides to stick around.

This book was as beautiful as its cover. It was romantic, cute and sad and I couldn’t put it down. Heartbreak was inevitable as they did not belong together; his timeline was 17 years ahead of hers. Not to mention the risk that he may ‘bounce back’ at any time. 

I like how it tampered with the idea of the butterfly effect, but I think in practice it didn’t all quite come together. Bennett was very willing to change things for his own benefit, but when it came to someone else he kicked up a massive fuss. Even though his entire presence in the book was wrong! But I have to forgive him, because he is adorable 😉

I thought that Anna too was a really strong character. When cute boy Bennett saunters into her life and offers her what shes dreamt about her whole life, she does take her time and think it over. She has her own personal strengths, and especially in the end I really rooted for her. 

The only thing I didn’t particularly like about the book was that it was over too soon! I felt it ended a bit abruptly, just as I was losing myself in the story. I’m hoping that the sequel will answer all my outstanding questions, and give me greater character development. 

One thing’s for sure, and that is I NEED the sequel, asap! It’s due for release at the end of October, and I can’t wait to find out what happens to Anna and Bennett.

This book is about love, connections and consequences. I adore the idea of toying with fate, and the butterfly effect that ripples afterwards. Strong characters and an enticingly romantic storyline makes for an AMAZING book. Roll on October! 4.5 sofas. 

Letterbox Love #29

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey of Narratively Speaking whereby book lovers can exhibit the books they received this week.

This week has been so hectic for me but I’ve managed to squeeze in buying a few books…     

Bought:

Soulmates by Holly Bourne

The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore

Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter

The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Flyaway by Lucy Christopher

There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

From Where I Stand by Tabitha Suzuma

Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie

Ebooks:

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Thanks very much to Algonquin Books and Netgalley.

Keeping Her by Cora Carmack

Yay! Thanks Random House and Netgalley for this, I will sneak it in my reading list soon!

Library:

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

        

What did you receive this week? Have you read any of my books and do you think it should be at the top or the bottom of my to read pile?  I’d love to hear from you! 

Book Review: Hurt

Hurt

by Tabitha Suzuma

Published: 5th September by Random House

Version: manuscript from publisher (Review my own, honest opinion)

Rating: 4.5 sofas

Why? is the burning question on everyone’s lips. Why would a guy like Mathéo Walsh want to die? At seventeen, he is Britain’s most promising diving champion. He is a heartthrob, a straight A student and lives in one of the wealthiest areas of London. He has great mates and is the envy of everyone around him. And most importantly of all, he is deeply in love with his girlfriend, Lola. He has always been a stable, well-adjusted guy…

Until one weekend. A weekend he cannot seem to remember. All he knows is that he has come back a changed person. One who no longer knows how to have fun, no longer wants to spend time with his friends, no longer enjoys diving. Something terrible happened that weekend – something violent and bloody and twisted. He no longer knows who he is. He no longer trusts himself around people: he only wants to hurt, wound and destroy. Slowly, he begins to piece back the buried, fragmented memories, and finds himself staring at the reflection of a monster. Tormented, Mathéo suddenly finds himself faced with the most devastating choice of his life. Keep his secret, and put those closest to him in terrible danger. Or confess, and lose Lola forever…

Tabitha’s A Note of Madness was one of my favourite books as a teenager. I’ve lost count of how many times I have read it. So when I heard she was releasing a new novel, I squealed with excitement. But could anything live up to the emotional rollercoaster that was Forbidden? The answer is a resounding YES.

We follow Matheo, future diving Olympian as he juggles training between school and his girlfriend, Lola. Until one day something happens that changes him, and his perfect world shatters. We are taken on a journey with him as he tries to assemble his memories as well as his emotions.

I did get a bit frustrated around the middle of the book, but I think this is just because I was dying to know what had happened to Matheo, and I was racking my brain with all the possibilities. However, Tabitha’s writing is just so pure and the raw emotion had me gripped from the very beginning. Whatever Matheo was going through, I felt it. My heart went out to him and I had to find out what had made him feel this way and whether he was going to be okay.

As for the other characters, I sort of went in swings and roundabouts. I thought Lola, his girlfriend, was quite flaky, especially in the second half. Obviously she was dealing with Matheos emotions, but she was so inconsistent I’m not sure I could see Matheos obsession with her. That being said, as a reader I am getting a much greater insight to Matheos thoughts then Lola is, so her anger and sadness is probably justified against his actions. 

I can’t tell you how much THAT ENDING left my jaw trailing on the floor long after I had turned the last page. I just couldn’t believe it. Once again Tabitha had succeeded in turning everything I knew about humans and their emotions upside down, and I was left in shock.

Overall, Hurt is heartwrenching, emotional and gripping. If you enjoyed Forbidden, then this will knock your socks off. 4.5 sofas!

Letterbox Love #27

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey of Narratively Speaking whereby book lovers can exhibit the books they received this week.

Happy weekend! I tried to be good, and then I discovered a website of half price books and it all went downhill from there….    

 Received for Review:

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

The Curse of the Gloamglozer by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

The Winter Knights by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Clash of the Sky Galleons by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Thanks to Random House! Time Between Us is a duplicate copy but I’m sure it will find a home somewhere. The other three are the first in the Edge Chronicles, and the new covers are amazing!

Red Rock by Kate Kelly

Amber by Julie Sykes

Yet more amazing Curious Fox titles! Their catalogue just keeps getting more and more exciting. 

Bought:

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler

If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

Truly Madly Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

Skinny by Donna Cooner

 

What did you receive this week? Have you read any of my books and do you think it should be at the top or the bottom of my to read pile?  I’d love to hear from you! 

Letterbox Love #26

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey of Narratively Speaking whereby book lovers can exhibit the books they received this week.

Welcome to my book haul this week! I haven’t received any ebooks or books from the library, but I was bad and bought quite a few this week!   

 Received for Review:

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone 

Thanks very much Random House! If this is anything like Time Traveller’s Wife I will adore it.

Another Way to Fall by Amanda Brooke

This looks really cute and sad and the cover is gorgeous! Many thanks Harper Collins 

Bought:

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Reached by Ally Condie

Wonder by RJ Palacio

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth

Struts and Frets by Jon Skovron

Won:

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Breathe by Sarah Crossan

The Taming of the Tights by Louise Rennison

The Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy Cox

The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

Thanks very much to Caroline from Big Book Little Book! 

What did you receive this week? Have you read any of my books and do you think it should be at the top or the bottom of my to read pile?  I’d love to hear from you!