Review: Not Pretty Enough + Excerpt + $40 Amazon GC Giveaway!

Genre: Contemporary YA Comedy
Release: 1st August
Author: Jaimie Admans  
Purchase: Amazon


“New Year’s Resolutions:
1. Lloyd Layton will know I exist. He once said three whole words to me, so this is obviously progress. If I don’t get a proper conversation out of him soon, then I’ll take my top off and streak through the cafeteria, because nobody could fail to notice these boobs.
2. I will not get expelled for streaking through the cafeteria.”

Those are the words that begin her mission.
Chessie is fourteen, not pretty enough, and very much in love. Lloyd Layton is hot, popular, and unaware of Chessie’s existence.
Her goal is clear: to get Lloyd to love her as much as she loves him, and she has exactly one year to do it.
As Chessie’s obsession with Lloyd reaches boiling point and she starts to spin a web of lies that spiral out of control, Lloyd turns out to be not quite the prince she thought he was. Can Chessie avoid the gathering storm before things go too far?"

Not Pretty Enough is a contemporary young adult comedy suitable for ages thirteen and over.

Book two in the series will be released early 2014.

Excerpt


I hear the words, “Sir, I don’t get this,” come from the seat next to me. This is very strange because it sounds like Lloyd’s Welsh accent, but Lloyd is some kind of genius and always gets maths stuff. I risk a glance towards him, and sure enough, he has his hand in the air and is beckoning for Mr Griffiths to come over. Wow, I think. Lloyd doesn’t get this, and I look like I do. He must be so impressed.
 
But Mr Griffiths is a bit busy. He is bending over Cole’s work, shaking his head and muttering. He looks at Lloyd distractedly. Then he looks at me. Then he says a terrible, terrible thing.
“Ask Francesca to explain it to you, she knows what she’s doing.”
Oh, crap. Why can’t we be doing something easy?
I immediately go to put my hand up to object, but Mr Griffiths has gone back to Cole’s work, and Lloyd is looking at me expectantly.
 
Okay, deep breath. All I have to say is one simple sentence. All I have to say is, ‘actually, I don’t really understand it myself,’ and all will be well. The teacher will come over and explain it to both of us, and Lloyd will ask me what I’ve been writing in my book for the past twenty minutes, and I might have to admit that it mainly involves CC loves LL doodled in various fancy handwriting with my new pen. So instead I say, “Sure, I’ll explain it to you.”
 
He nods and smiles at me, and I wonder how the hell I’m going to get out of this one.
I close my own book and glance nervously around the class. Everybody has their heads down, concentrating on their work, except for Leigh. She is resting her head in her hand and staring longingly at Ewan, who is working obliviously. It’s pathetic. It’s obvious to the whole class that she’s yearning for him. God, I hope it’s not that obvious that I like Lloyd. I mean, Leigh is practically drooling on the desk over Ewan. At least I don’t drool on the desk. Not very often, anyway.
 
“Well,” I say, leaning over to look at Lloyd’s book and turning a page, just as he goes to move the book closer to me. Our hands brush together and I pull back startled by the intensity. Our hands brushed! And there was electricity! This is meant to be!
“So,” I say, wondering what to do next. “This is algebra…” This is ridiculous. He knows what bloody algebra is. I rest my pen against my top lip and try to look intelligent and seductive at the same time. Lloyd still has an expectant look on his face. Except, I’ve obviously rested the pen too high up my lip, and it’s tickling my nose. Really tickling now, and…
 
“Atchooooo!” I yell, a sneeze catching me by surprise. Oh my god. I’m aware that every person in the classroom is staring at me.
“I’m sorry,” I say, holding up my hand. “I just…” Oh no. 

“Atchooooo!” I sneeze again. “Atchoooooo!” I grip my nose firmly between my thumb and my finger. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that is the best way to stop sneezing. Or is that hiccups? Either way, it doesn’t work. It just makes me want to sneeze more. “Atchooooo!” I yell again. Oh God, this is so embarrassing. Why do I have to have a sneezing fit on the one day I am sitting by Lloyd Layton? It’s highly unlikely that I will ever be lucky enough to sit by Lloyd Layton again; I get my one big chance to impress him, and what do I do? I sneeze.
 
“Atchooo!”
 
Oh God. Now my nose is running. I’m still gripping it with one hand, and frantically feeling around in my bag for a tissue with the other.
 
“Atchooooooooooooooo!” It comes again, and this time something so horrible happens that it’s like being in slow motion. A huge lump of snot, my snot, straight out of my nose, flies out of my nostrils, and goes zooming up into the air, turns around, and like a giant pancake, starts plummeting back down to earth, to land smack bang in the middle of Lloyd’s textbook.
 
Oh. My. God.
 
“Ugh!” Lloyd yells and pushes his chair back so fast that he nearly falls off it.
 
Oh my god. What do I do? What do I do? My face has gone so red I must resemble a lobster, and when my hand finally closes around a tissue in my bag, I have no idea what to do but lean over and wipe the snot from Lloyd’s book, and deposit the offending tissue back into my bag. I’m so embarrassed I could die. And to make things so much better, Mr Griffiths is laughing like he’s never seen anything funnier in his life.




Review

The cover is so beautiful. If I knew nothing about this book then I would think he would have a heartbreak element to it because of the title and the look on her face... if you get what I mean....

Anyways...Wow! Let me just say... WOW. Chessie reminded me of those really crazy fangirls that are so out of control. The writing and the scenes was so very well written that I lost count of how many times and buried my head in my hands due to me cringing for her or just wondering why?

Chessie is a very impulsive person who was blinded by the idea of love to this guy who was apparently hot and swoon-worthy. She put herself through torture and total embarrassment for this guy. I mean, no matter how hot a guy is, you have to think about yourself first! It was so embarrassing for me to read and if she was a real person, I can't really imagine how she felt.

This is a story that anyone can really relate to I guess. Um, I don't really know if this book is going to attract male readers but this book is definitely great for a female.
Since she is around the same age as me, I can really connect with her- ish- kinda- a bit....

I felt she was really dumb at times and her really stupid decisions led to other people around getting hurt. For me as a reader, some of the decisions she makes are absolutely hilarious and I felt really sorry for her.

This book is quick and fun to read. It can make you feel the character's emotions even though you are not experiencing it first hand.

I was going to talk about the ending but I think that will give away the whole story so I'm just going to say that I'm really pleased with the ending but kinda frustrated at the same time. I really don't know why.

There is going to be a sequel to this book and I'm really excited to see what's going to happen next and how the relationships are going.

 
About the Author

Jaimie is a 28-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps. She has been writing for years but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people. Afterlife Academy is her third novel and she hopes you enjoy it. There are plenty more on the way!

Find Her!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter 

GIVEAWAY!
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I'm part of a book tour so please hop on to another blog to explore more about the book and the author.
Thanks x 

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Review: Love Waltzes In by Alana Albertson

Find it on Goodreads!
Buy it! Amazon| Kobo

"GET READY WHEN LOVE WALTZES IN!

To her millions of fans, ballroom champion Selena Marcil seems to have the perfect life: a great dance partner, a hit reality show, and celebrity perks. But underneath the glamorous ball gowns, Selena longs to find someone to share her life with when the stage lights dim.

Selena’s childhood sweetheart, Bret Lord, hung up his dance shoes after winning two national titles with her as a teenager, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He never saw his former fiancée again, except on television and on the cover of men’s magazines. Ten years and three deployments later, Bret gets an offer to audition for Selena’s dance show. When the Marine Corps gives him temporary leave to appear on the series, Bret can’t refuse the quick cash that will enable him to provide financially for the widow of his buddy, even if it does mean coming face to face with his past.

When Bret shows up at her national championship, Selena is shocked. For years she searched for him to no avail. After spending time with Bret, Selena realizes despite their past romance, they have no future. He has no desire to live under a spotlight and she has no desire to leave it. Can Selena and Bret recognize when Love Waltzes In?"

Excerpt

Staff Sergeant Bret Lord sat on the dirty floor of his tent, going through the day’s mail: the latest Men’s Fitness magazine from his sister, a care package from his mom. He ripped open the package—socks, lip balm, sunflower seeds, and a thin letter that contained an old magazine clipping.

Dear Bret,

I miss you very much. Benny asked me to send you this article. I really wish you would consider his offer. Please stay safe.

Love, Mom

He swallowed hard. A neon sticky pressed on the wrinkled page had a note scrawled on it from his former master dance coach.

Bret, m’boy,

We’ll make it worth your time.

Cheers, Benny.

Thumbing the edge of the article, Bret stared at the sixteen-year-old boy in the picture and could barely recognize himself. His shoulder length, wavy blond hair was slicked back, not shorn in a “high and tight” like his current haircut. No signs of the tattoos or muscles that currently defined his body. Golden skin stained from a bottle, not the harsh sun of Iraq. His arms were wrapped around a gorgeous, curvy young girl with long jet-black hair. The jade Latin gown she wore matched the color of her almond-shaped eyes.

Bret tossed the article aside and removed his nine-mil pistol from his holster to clean it.

Lance Corporal Hernandez walked by Bret and snatched the article off his cot. After staring at it, Hernandez’s face brightened.

“Hey, Staff Sergeant, this you?”

“No, it’s my clone who’s also named Bret Lord.” Bret slid the rail back on his weapon and began disassembling it.

“Staff Sergeant, you know Selena Marcil? Did you hit that?”

“Shut up, Hernandez, or the one getting hit will be you—with the butt stock of my rifle.” Bret grabbed the paper out of Hernandez’s hands, and smacked him on the side of the head. The kid didn’t flinch.

“Staff Sergeant Twinkle Toes. Hey—can you hook me up with Selena? I’ll be her boy toy. I love her. Man, she’s smoking. Has the nicest ass. Not like all those skinny, Russian chicks on that show.” He nodded to himself with an eyebrow dancing. “Selena’s on my list. She’s Latina, too. We’d be perfect together. What was she doing with a gringo like you?”

“Hernandez, you’re way out of line.” Bret reassembled his pistol.

 

“My bad, Staff Sergeant.”

Bret grabbed the article, his pack, and his rifle. It was impossible to get some privacy in the tent. His only option was to sit outside in a sandstorm but even that sounded like a welcome retreat from his immature men. He walked about five hundred feet, then plopped down in the hot sand.

The red sky hung above him, thick from smoke from the nearby town. Bret struggled to catch a glimpse of the distant mountains. Sand seemed to pelt down from the heavens, blinding him and settling into every crevice in his body. He closed his eyes against the sting of the sand, and turned his thoughts to Selena. Was she the diva the tabloids made her out to be? Even after ten years, he could almost smell her buttery-coconut scent. A welcome change from the overflowing shitters, toxic diesel, and stench of his fellow Marines who hadn’t bathed in three weeks.

The deep popping sound of shots from a nearby AK-47 roused his ears but Bret didn’t move.

As a marksmanship instructor, he could distinguish the sound of any weapon system. These shots weren’t the lighter, faster rounds of his men’s M16s. Looking past the palm trees that peppered the dismal scene of dilapidated shacks, he tried to get a location on the origin of the gunfire. Probably just some insurgents outside of base. The rules of engagement were clear—he couldn’t stop them from killing each other even if he wanted to. And he definitely wasn’t going to endanger the lives of his men.

The sandstorm let up, and he reached into his pack to grab dinner. Spaghetti with Meat and Sauce was his favorite Meal Ready to Eat, even if it did taste like chalk. He hoped it came with cinnamon apples for dessert. He opened the box and laid out his day’s bounty: cherry-blueberry cobbler, potato sticks, wheat snack bread, plain cheese spread, lemon-lime beverage powder, and accessory pack “A” – coffee, creamer, sugar, salt, Tabasco, a moist towelette, toilet paper, chewing gum, and matches. Bret opened the cooking bag, placed the spaghetti pouch in it, filled it with water, and then leaned it against a rock to cook.

He stared at the picture of himself and Selena winning the U.S. National Youth Amateur Latin Ballroom Championship. Selena was the star of the hit series Dancing under the Stars. His childhood sweetheart was now plastered on the cover of magazines, billboards, and advertisements. The details of his life back then had faded away from his memory. Being at war made everything a blur.

Bret took a swig of water from his camelbak and downed two anti-malaria pills: one blue, one pink. The Marine Corps assured the troops that it was safe but Bret couldn’t help but wonder if the pills caused his daily headaches. Then again, maybe the migraines were just from the hundred-degree heat.

Staff Sergeant Ray Wilson emerged from the tent, and sat beside him. Even though Bret had wanted to be alone, he was happy to have his friend’s company.

“Slim Jim?” Ray offered. As Bret ripped the plastic off the snack, Ray nodded at the magazine article lying in the sand. “What’s that all about?”

Bret grunted. “A month ago, my mom told me that the judge on Dancing asked her if I would consider doing the show. He just sent me a note.”

“For real?” Ray took a bite of his own Slim Jim. “You’d have to be stupid to give up this paradise of sand and gunfire for the mansions of Hollywood. Your mother does realize you’re a Marine right? You can’t just leave the Corps and go on reality television.”

“That’s what I told her. But she has this crazy idea that the Marine Corps would let me do it for one season—like a recruiting tool. I doubt that, but I could use my vacation leave. Remember that kid on American Pop Star?”

 

“Yeah. Didn’t he gain like thirty pounds and fail his PFT? Can you still dance, Patrick Swayze?”

“Good enough to teach some teen mom from MTV how to cha-cha. I’d be the laughing stock of the Corps.”

“Maybe not. I mean you are the only Devil Dawg who happens to be a ballroom champion. You could be that all-American hero. The pretty face that recruits a load more boys to come join the rest of us here, and get shot at.”

“If you think it sounds so great, I’ll tell her you’ll do it.” Bret hated the public’s obsession with the “celebrities” on these shows. Young kids who became millionaires for making a sex tape or wasting their days doing nothing but going to the gym, tanning and partying. Meanwhile, Bret and his buddies were out here in hell, dodging bullets.

Bret checked his spaghetti. He dug into the warm, gooey meal.

Ray shrugged. “The only dance I know is the ‘Harlem Shake,’ and something tells me I’d be more of a target for that than I am for being a Marine in Iraq.”

Bret had no desire to ever dance again. Once he’d joined the Corps, he had found his calling. “Nah, I’d rather stay here with my men. I wouldn’t even consider it—if it weren’t for Pierce.”

Ray blinked hard. “What does the show have to do with Pierce?”

“I promised him that I’d take care of his family if anything happened to him. If I did the show, I could earn enough money to buy them a house.”

“Dawg, you would do that for them? That would be crazy.”

“He’d have done it for me.” Bret knew that Pierce would’ve done anything for him. Pierce had already proved that.

They sat there in silence.

Ray nodded toward Bret. “Pierce was a good dude. You should do it.”

Bret’s hands became sticky with sweat. “I couldn’t. I’d make a fool out of myself.”

“Man, it wouldn’t be that bad.” Ray stretched out. “And you can go check out your ex-fiancée—she is Maxim’s Sexiest Girl Alive. Even if she is with that pretty-boy dancer.”

“Dima? That guy’s a jerk. He was one of our coaches. But I would never get back together with Selena.” Though she was sexier than ever, Bret had no desire to go there, despite the fact that he could still remember every inch of her body. A relationship between them could never work out. She was too focused on her career—always had been. He loved the Marines and wouldn’t allow himself to get tempted by the fame and money of Hollywood. But he still felt protective over her after all she had been through as a child and he hated seeing her all sexed up for the cameras. The thought of a bunch of Marines jerking off to pictures of his first love made him sick.

Ray rolled his eyes. “Well you never know. Maybe she’s changed.” Ray broke out a bag of Skittles. “I’ll go with you. Can you request Beyoncé as your partner?”

Bret laughed. “Not sure if Jay Z would like that. Or your wife.” Ray had one of the good ones. Ray’s wife was any Marine’s dream. Beautiful and faithful, Nia raised their four children while Ray was away. She was the head of the Key Wives’ Club, kept her body tight, and still had time to send Ray the best care packages, hence his endless supply of Slim Jims.

Bret had tried to have that family life once, but it didn’t work out. After that experience, Bret had vowed never to get close to anyone again, at least until he left the Corps. He needed to focus on guiding his men—not be distracted wondering if another man kept his girl’s bed warm while Bret fought a war thousands of miles away.

Ray stood up. “Nia’d be cool with it. She loves the show, man. Do it. Big shot reality star will need security. I got your back.”

If Bret did it, he’d want to have Ray by his side to handle the entertainment world. But it wouldn’t be to get back with Selena. Bret had no desire to live in the spotlight, and from what he could see, she had no desire to leave it. He stuffed the article back into his pocket containing his “If I should die” letter.

The roar of the rounds boomed through the sky. His cammies were soaked in sweat and felt heavy on his chest. He couldn’t see anything, but the rumbling of the helicopters overhead told him this was no training exercise.

Ray and Bret didn’t say a word; they knew what was about to go down. A fire built in Bret’s chest and adrenaline took over. Moments like this made all the sacrifices of war worth it—knowing that his life meant something and that he was responsible for not only protecting his men, but also ensuring the safety of Americans back home. Bret tossed the rest of the food into his pack and gathered his weapon. They raced into the tent.

Bret screamed at his men. “Grab your weapons and take cover!”

Review

Firstly, I absolutely adore these types of books. I love it when either one of the exes is a celebrity and then when they meet each other for first time in so many years they feel that chemistry. Is it only me??

So... from the blurb I was hooked and I was like, I have to read this!

It seriously didn't disappoint. The beginning didn't get dragged on and wasn't delayed at all. Usually when books do that......... bad idea. It just makes everything boring. Even though, you might want the book to be longer, so you make the beginning longer.... it doesn't help at all. It makes the book boring and the reader bored and yeah......

Bret was a nice guy. He is quite humble and very unselfish. The blurb never really says much about how they broke up. It kinda makes you assume that he left her to go to war and that makes him the bad guy but, when you read it- it is a very different story... very different. I mean him getting loads of money to do a dance show and giving it to the widow of his best friend who died is a pretty good damn thing to do. I know that there are very few people who would do that. They might have that intention in the beginning but, the temptation of money might be too much.

Selena.... for some reason, I didn't like as much as I thought I would. I think I just liked her because she was the main female protagonist and the love interest of Bret. I found her quite spoilt and annoying and yeahh.... I can't really describe it. I think I just don't like her for no apparent reason.

I found the plot quite original. I've never read a book circling around the ballroom dancing world. It probably is exaggerated but, I think it captured how competitive it is and how fierce you have to be to get to the top.

I really liked this book! And apparently, it is the first book of the series, so I'm excited for the next book.
Quite a quick read and so sweet and romantic! ^.^
  

 

Guest Post: The Dirty Secrets of Markham Savoy

Genre: NA, Romance, Contemporary
Re-Release: August 6th 2013
Author: C.C Dalton
Publisher: Twist Literary
Purchase It!: B&N

"Markham Savoy is Colebrook Academy's most infamous student...
He's also the most attractive, most deviant, and most charming, but who's counting? Every Colebrook matriculant knows that Markham is in the business of making problems disappear. And Colebrook students have no shortage of problems. But his aid comes at a price—an obligation to one day repay the favor. Given the number of kids who get in trouble at Colebrook, Markham has a veritable army of willing minions to do his bidding. So the question is, after years of collecting and collating the secrets of his peers, what exactly does Markham have in mind?

Even though he safeguards the secrets of his classmates, Markham wouldn't be caught dead sharing his own, and he never lets romantic entanglements get the best of him. But when Piper Harrington marches into his life, he’s forced to give her something in exchange for her cooperation in his schemes--his very own Colebrook Confession. And that's not the only time Piper brings out an unexpected side of himself.

Will the dirty secrets of Markham Savoy be his crowning glory...or his undoing?"
Goodreads


Guest Post

First of all, I would like to welcome C.C Dalton to my blog! So pleased that she is here. My question is .....

What authors have made an impact on your life and writing?

First, Kim, thanks so much for having me in your blog!  I’m so happy to be here.  Second, this is a great question—because it’s a tricky one!  I think most writers are influenced by everything they read.  Even when you don’t necessarily love a book while you’re reading it, you still find yourself thinking about all the thins you would have done differently.  I thin that exercise makes you a better writer.  Of course I love it when I find a book so magical that I actually lose myself and turn off that inner critic.  And the sad thing is the more I hours I log as a writer, practicing and practicing, the harder it gets to just give into the fun and read a book with reckless abandon. 

As far as lifelong influences, I’m a huge fan of Shel Silverstein.  He taught me that reading meant laughter and being delightful twists and turns.   I’m a huge fan of Oscar Wilde’s wry and clever humor.  The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks was also a pretty big gateway drug—an introduction into both YA and boarding school stories.  The part of that particular book that stuck with me most was the idea of a secret society and someone with a hidden agenda tricking people into playing a part in their master plan.  Then there’s also the fact that when I was in high school, boarding school sounded pretty amazing—who wouldn’t want to get away from their parents and annoying little brother and live with all their friends?  When Twist approached me with the idea behind Colebrook, I signed right on!

And I actually just cracked open ELEANOR AND PARK, which has totally convinced me to lose track of time and read like a maniac.  I wouldn’t exactly call it an influence, yet, but I’m happy to have found a book that makes me remember how much I love to read.  Because ultimately, reading and writing are intertwined.

I hope you’ll check out the first book in COLEBROOK ACADEMY SERIES (my darling book) THE DIRTY SECRETS OF MARKHAM SAVOY.  The fun part about writing for Twist is that each installment of a series is told from a different character’s point of view.  So you get a totally fresh perspective on events in the story—and you get to see each character from the outside and the inside.  I know you’ll love the series as much as I do. 

Thanks C.C Dalton!!

Short Bio:

C.C. Dalton lives in Denver and divides her time between writing, painting, and amateur acrobatics.  She loves quirky romance and finding humor in unanticipated places. 

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Review: Home to Whiskey Creek

Author: Brenda Novak

Sometimes home is the refuge you need-and sometimes it isn't.  Adelaide Davies, who's been living in Sacramento, returns to Whiskey Creek, the place she once called home. She's there to take care of her aging grandmother and to help with Gran's restaurant, Just Like Mom's. But Adelaide isn't happy to be back. There are too many people here she'd rather avoid, people who were involved in that terrible June night fifteen years ago.

Ever since the graduation party that changed her life, she's wanted to go to the police and make sure the boys responsible-men now-are punished. But she can't, not without revealing an even darker secret. So it's better to pretend....

Noah Rackham, popular, attractive, successful, is shocked when Adelaide won't have anything to do with him. He has no idea that his very presence reminds her of something she'd rather forget. He only knows that he's finally met a woman he could love.

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

I really liked this book.... yep

I wasn't quite sure if I was going to like this book mainly because it was the third book of the series and usually you have to read the previous books to understand , but this book was not the case.

I absolutely loved reading this book because firstly, it went straight to the point. It wasn't like those books that have really tedious beginnings or when the books' plot is moving too slow as I really hate that.

Secondly, Home to Whiskey Creek didn't contain those typical things occurring in most books for example, there are characters that you will be confused about. For me, I found myself wanting to hate some people but I couldn't. This book was realistic. It shows that sometimes in life, nothing is black and white.

However, I actually hated a few of the characters. After all the things they had done, they did not show any remorse. Since they were respectable figures in that community they felt that they got away with it. I was so frustrated how some people were so ignorant and selfish- all they thought was of themselves. At the end I kept reminding myself that this book was fiction (well I hope so) but I know that this happens in real life and that really tears me apart.

Adelaide is quite a strong woman. I felt quite frustrated at her for not going to the police about it even though she thought she might be revealing a 'darker secret.' However, I felt she grew stronger each page but, also more vulnerable, as she came back to the town that contained so many memories for her.

Noah was genuinely a good guy. He was such a gentleman and was so loving. I just instantly liked him. The way he was protective of her from start to finish..... sigh. He helped her even though she didn't want any and gradually, fell in love with her. However, if she actually wanted his love was a different story.

I really enjoyed this book. I was addicted and was always on the edge of my seat. The topic really made me interested in this book more because I'm really passionate about these type of things...
I'll definitely read more books from Brenda Novak. And hope anyone who is reading this will be convinced to read this.

4/5 stars

Book Review: The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Final Cover
Click on the cover to go to the Goodreads' page!

Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy, Romance

Age: 12-adult

Published: 1st May 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books

Purchase: Amazon| Book Depository


"This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance.
On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears."

After reading the blurb, it didn’t excite me at all and I wasn’t compelled to read this book. Since I have the ARC, the cover was boring, dull and it put me off reading the book but, the final cover I’ve seen is beautiful!

 

The story starts out really, really slow and it wasn’t very interesting at all and I did find myself skim reading.

 

Lena is a good girl and quite irritating at times. She was impulsive, kind of ungrateful, disloyal at times and was completely blind! It was so clear how she was being manipulated but she didn’t see it and that caused a whole lot of trouble- for her and other people who were her friends and allies. The bad guy might as well have had a tattoo saying ‘I’m the bad guy..Yes me!!!!!’ on his forehead. That was how obvious it was! It made Lena being fooled quite unrealistic.

 

I would say that my favourite characters from this book was Jimson and Mrs Mumbles (the cat). Jimson was loyal and quite sweet, to be honest. He was optimistic about everything (most of the time!) and it was adorable to see how he saw the beauty in Lena, even though she had quite unique and unusual characteristics.

Mrs Mumbles was a very unique cat. She was loyal and very protective of the people she loved. In my opinion, cats in reality do not behave in this manner at all.

 

At the end, much more interesting things were happening, like Lena slowly developing as a person and heroine but, it was a shame that the book only made me interested at the end.

 

This book does emphasise how in society in 1800s or even now, people who are different can be treated as outcasts .They haven’t been given a chance to show who they really are and people assume things about them because of stereotypical views.

 

I think this book had an very original plot that I’ve never read before but, the author could’ve added more action and made the heroine more strong and independent in the beginning. Also, there was barely any romance at all! Just a few glances and a near kiss... not really romance. Finally, I think other people would enjoy this more than me as I felt this wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.