Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

This is first YA from Sophie Kinsella and it was pretty wonderful. I always have faith in a SK novel to deliver quality writing and characters, and that's what she's done. Finding Audrey was hilarious, hysterical, relatable and real. 

The story is about a girl who's been through an ordeal at school, something intense and bad and inexplicable. It's literally never explained what exactly happened. But it's left Audrey with a pretty awful case of anxiety, so much so that she needs therapy and wears sunglasses 24/7, in order to avoid eye contact with people, even her immediate family. Audrey never leaves the house and spends her days in a dark den with black-out curtains drawn.

It was so easy slipping into Audrey's shoes. Her story is incredibly relatable to me and as I read the book I felt almost UNeasy because I was empathising with Audrey so much. One of the things I loved most about this book is the family dynamic. Audrey has such an awesome family, and her mum provides a lot of the hysteria. Frank, Audrey's big brother, was hilarious and Felix, her baby bro, was so so sooo cute. I love them all so much but not just because of who they are (or how well their characters were written) but because of how they loved each other. 

There's a cute romance that sparks between Audrey and Lionel (Frank's friend). Lionel helps draw Audrey out of her dark place and back into the world. There were so many sweet moments between them, like the note-writing with Felix as their messenger, or when Lionel knew Audrey couldn't manage eye contact so he'd challenge her with things like shoe contact or thumb contact or knee contact. :) 

I'd rec Finding Audrey for anyone who likes Sophie Kinsella, teen reads and laughing, 

Rating: 4 stars

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

I had a lot of fun writing Goodreads status updates for this one as I read through it. 

You can see them here.

This was a rather intense one. I know it's called The Husband's Secret so I should have expected some mystery and twists, but there's some heavy stuff that these characters deal with! For example: grief, guilt, betrayal, the blurred line between right and wrong, and murder. There were also lots of secrets and tragedies.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.

I've just been sitting two metres away from my laptop just now, on the couch, reading the last pages of this book. Now I'm here. This little 'my thoughts on...' post will be a tad different, I'll be writing (and rating) in a more segmented fashion. Hope you don't mind. I'll give a rating out of 5 for each category and then at the end we'll see what the average turns out to be! But FYI, the rating I've given this novel on Goodreads is 4 stars. :)

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

QUICK UPDATE WITH MOI: Sorry I've been a little AWOL these past several weeks. It was the worst month of the year! Not just because the seasons have changed and I've been sneezing and getting bitten by bugs like a maniac, but because I've had soo many assignments and an exam and we're just about ready to call it the end of my tertiary studies! But now all I have left is my practicum placement unit (interning at Westerly Magazine), so I'll have plenty more time for reading and reviewing and videos and hauls et cetera! 

~~~~~~~

STARDUST by NEIL GAIMAN

(a different sort of review. as usual, spoilers may lurk. beware: my thoughts are laconic tonight.)

Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Click here to read my Goodreads review.

A few weeks ago I had a new bookshelf added into my bedroom and as I re-organised books onto my new shelf (I was categorising all my chick lit novels together), I looked at Can you keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella and suddenly it dawned on me, the book was stiff - the spine wasn't bent at all, it still looked brand new and I said, "Have I not read this? I thought I'd read every single Sophie Kinsella book there is!" (not verbatim) But I hadn't. Somehow this little purple book flew under my radar (I must have had this book in my possession for a few years now) and I remedied the situation STAT.

Betrothed by Wanda Wiltshire

Betrothed by Wanda Wiltshire

goodreads page

(If you live in/near Sydney, Wanda's book launch is happening at Dymocks on George St on June 27)

Betrothed is Australian author Wanda Wiltshire's debut novel - it is being released on July 1st, 2013 and I was so kindly sent a copy from Pantera Press. 

Fortunately, I read it as soon as I received it and I really enjoyed it (it was a lovely distraction from working on my research essays) - but unfortunately, that was about a month ago and I can't believe I kept putting off posting my thoughts on it for so long.  

But now the day has come, the release date is drawing near, and if you enjoy reading YA fantasy, I encourage you to go online, or to Dymocks, or wherever you have to go to get your little (or big, I don't know what size your hands are) hands on this excellent debut novel. 

I wrote a brief Goodreads review shortly after I finished reading Betrothed so it has more of my immediate feelings - check that out here.

Betrothed is half set in the real world - modern day Australia, and half set in Faera - the world of fae (or faeries). This was really interesting because the main character, Amy (aka Marla) sits on the edge of both worlds. She gets the best (and worse) of both worlds. Hannah Montana theme song reference not intended. She grew up in Australia, but she isn't human, and therefore not exactly meant for this world. Marla is fae, and her betrothed - Leif - is a fae prince. She meets him in her dream. It's crazy but there's an explanation I won't go into because I'm no good at plot retell and I'd end up rambling for way too long. You just have to read it!

The mix of fantasy and reality was really nice to see because normally you only have one or the other. Amy/Marla has her human friends and (adopted) family who all love her so much, but she doesn't belong in the human world - she belongs with her betrothed, she belongs in the realm of fae. She also longs to find her biological mum and dad - her fae parents who abandoned her. 

Faera was an exciting, enchanting place to read about. There are just so many exciting, enchanting things in this book! Marla's wings, the markets in Faera, the royal court, Leif in general....

I was not happy with the ending, but only in that the ending was not a happy one. Things weren't resolved very nicely but it is a series after all, so the ending just made me want to read more and get hold of the sequel (Allegiance) right away.

There's little for me to criticise - hmm I guess some of the dialogue seemed to me a bit unrealistic at times (I know the faeries all speak like they're ancient and that's fine, but I meant dialogue between humans), and beware, there is a love triangle going on but don't worry, the winner is victorious from the get go. 

I haven't read a lot of other YA books with faeries other than the Wicked Lovely series, and Betrothed reminds me a little of that, except it's not as creepy. It's a bit lighter than the Wicked Lovely books, and I like that about it.

My Rating: 4 stars! 

Click here to see my Goodreads review of Betrothed

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Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

(My star rating: 4 stars)
read the synopsis here

Well, despite the 'low' ratings I saw for Wedding Night on Goodreads - I was once again thrown into the wonderful world of Sophie Kinsella.

The magic and beauty of literature is that it allows your spirit to be dynamically shifted by merely looking at the words on a page.

In every Sophie Kinsella book I have read - my mood is lifted, I end up crying, and there is always, always a happy ending. For Wedding Night however, it wasn't a happy ending. It was a BEST ending. Literally, the outcome could not have possibly turned out better for the characters.

You may be wondering why I only gave it a four star rating instead of the usual 4.5 or 5 I normally award S.K. books, so I'm going to tell you why.

The characters were lovely; I did like them a lot, and it was really cool (and necessary) to switch between the narrators Lottie and Fliss, but the hero/s and heroine/s didn't exactly have the (for lack of a better term) epic-ness that past S.K. characters had. A reason why I may have felt this is that the characters in Wedding Night are a fair bit older... Lottie is 33 years old and Fliss is 38. Lottie is all about settling down and Fliss has a 7 year old son and is getting through her divorce. Of course we still get packs and packs of crazy behaviour from the protagonists and lucky for us there are two of them. Double trouble!

The plot didn't have as many layers as I was expecting/hoping for... normally with S.K. you get a huge scandal simmering away underneath the upper layers of plottiness and relationshippy romance stuff. Wedding Night didn't really have that, although that doesn't mean there weren't any heart-wrenching, sob-inducing moments, coz there were a few of those. For example when Fliss has her breakdown in the hotel and Lorcan ushers her into the steamroom to cry it out, or when Richard goes to Arthur to find out about the fire that happened fifteen years ago all to soothe away Lottie's fears, or when he walks up to Lottie on the beachside on Ikinos island and tells Lottie he loves her even though all the hotel guests are watching and her husband is standing right there.

Wedding Night was a funny, light and easy read that still brought out of the all the emotions. So for that I give it full props! Sophie Kinsella still remains one of my favourite authors and I would still recommend this book even though it is not the best S.K. novel out there.

Bonus feature!
Watch me fail at talking about this book!

my thoughts on: mini shopaholic by sophie kinsella

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

published 2010, read synopsis.

It's a wonderful feeling, reading a book for the first time, reading the last page of a story and finishing it for the first time. Nothing compares. 

That is why I'm sitting on my bed at 2am, wide awake and scribbling in a notebook, trying to somehow articulate all of what I'm feeling right now. 

For the most part, Mini Shopaholic was not like Sophie Kinsella's other novels, or even like the other Shopaholic books either. Sophie Kinsella fooled me for the first two thirds of the book - she made me think Mini Shopaholic would be a big disappointment (and in a tiny way it was a bit of a disappointment). Becky was up to her usual antics - deceiving everyone, keeping secrets, telling fibs left, right and center and satiating her hunger to shop. I was halfway through the book and felt disappointed that her character was still the same as ever, disappointed that Becky hadn't grown or matured since the first book. She had though, it was just difficult for me to see that at first. 

my thoughts on: The Lying Game by Sara Shepard [review]

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

published 2010 by Harper Teen

click here for synopsis

This is the second book I've read by Sara Shepard. The first was Pretty Little Liars, which (years ago) Harper Teen put online to the public to read for free, and I just gobbled that one right up. Glued to the computer screen until I'd finished the whole thing. 

The Lying Game was not a far cry from that experience.

Let me just begin by saying how GOOD a writer Sara Shepard is. One of the best in terms of plot development and she knows how to write a good cliff-hanger. And I know that she knows she knows how to because she does it in every single chapter. It's one of the main reasons why I finished this book so fast. (I'm a really slow reader in case you weren't aware - one example of this is that I've been reading A Game of Thrones for almost a year and I'm only half-way through..)

REVIEW: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares // David Levithan & Rachel Cohn 
YA Contemporary // Allen & Unwin // 2010 // 260 pages

This book was just, so, CUTE!

Dash & Lily is the first book I've read by either David Levithan or Rachel Cohn, so I didn't really know what to expect. But now, I'm excited to get my hands on more of David's books because I absolutely love his writing. Dash was pretty much the main reason why I enjoyed this book so much. 

I really didn't click with Lily in the beginning, at all - which is strange because this rarely happens with me, especially with female protagonists. But she really grew on me toward the end - now I wanna be besties with her and get her to bake me a batch of lebkuchen spice cookies!!

I can't tell you enough how much I love New York as the setting of this book. I totally would not have given it another thought or care if I hadn't actually physically been to NYC before. I have first-hand experienced the magic of Manhattan, the beauty of that amazing city. I haven't read Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist yet but I can tell I'll really like that one too.

Now on to the actual book of dares. That blessed red Moleskine notebook. This was the key element to the unfolding of Dasy & Lily's friendship/relationship. And it was kinda beautiful. It makes you long for something like that to happen in your life. An epistolary connection to a perfect stranger. The mystery and the comfort their collection of words can bring. A dance of words, as Dash would say.

My favourite part was definitely Dash's first encounter with Lily's Great Aunt Ida. She was my favourite character other than Dash, so reading their first meeting was pure gold. The dialogue was perfect. And hilarious. Thank you, David Levithan.

Review: Withering Tights by Louise Rennison

Tallulah Casey is the artsy, funny cousin of Georgia Nicolson. She's 14 and off to performing arts school for the summer, and so the misadventures begin!!
If you're into a funny, light, tween read in the style of the fabulous Louise Rennison - you shall not be disappointed! 

Review: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Title: Wicked Lovely

Author: Melissa Marr

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 4 stars

Format: Paperback, 328 pages

Release Date: June 12, 2007

Publisher: Harper Collins

ISBN: 978-0-00-726307-3

Source: Bought 

Synopsis:

All teenagers have problems, but few of them can match those of Aislinn, who has the power to see faeries. Quite understandably, she wishes that she could share her friends' obliviousness and tries hard to avoid these invisible intruders. 

But one faery in particular refuses to leave her alone. Keenan the Summer King is convinced beyond all reasoning that Aislinn is the queen he has been seeking for nine centuries. What's a 21st-century girl to do when she's stalked by a suitor nobody else can see?

My Thoughts..

This intricate, captivating world of faeries is so well designed, and the novel so well-written, I have nothing but praise for Melissa Marr. Because of the Wicked Lovely series, she's become one of my favourite authors, creating stories so enthralling with a timeless style.

Review: Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Title: Uncommon Criminals
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Format: Hardcover, 298
Release Date: June 21, 2011
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
ISBN: 978-142314795-4
Source: Bought (from Target)



I normally paste the synopsis here but this one is really long so click here to read it on Ally Carter's website.

My Thoughts...

This is the second Heist Society novel and Ally Carter weaves her magic again. 

Uncommon Criminals was a pretty fast-paced read with a Peter Pan/Ocean's Eleven feel... but with teenagers.
Katarina Bishop doesn't steal to take, but she steals to give back. And maybe a little for the thrill of it. (Or maybe a lot for the thrill of it).

That's why she doesn't like to decline a challenge, and a challenge is exactly what she's offered. 

Kat and her crew need to steal the Cleopatra Emerald. Not only is it impossible to do in the history of thieves - it's forbidden.

And cursed. 

Review: Entangled by Cat Clarke

Title: Entangled
Author: Cat Clarke
Genre: Young Adult 
Rating: 4 stars!
Format: Paperback, 375 pages
Release Date: January 6, 2011
Publisher: Quercus
ISBN: 987-1-84916-394-1
Source: Bought (from The Book Depository)
Other Details: Currently on my Swap-List




Description:
The same questions whirl round and round in my head: 
What does he want from me? 
How could I have let this happen? 
AM I GOING TO DIE? 
17-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with table, pens and paper - and no clue how she got there. As Grace pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she's tried to forget. There's falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling of her relationship with her best friend Sal. But there's something missing. As hard as she's trying to remember, is there something she just can't see? Grace must face the most important question of all. Why is she here? A story of dangerous secrets, intense friendships and electrifying attraction.

My Thoughts.. 


Grace sees him. 
Sitting on the swing in the park. She doesn't want him around for this. Grace walks over, intending to talk to him, to get him to leave before she kills herself.


Entangled is a deeply emotional story of a girl who has some really bad things happen to her. 
Grace is writing this book, in this weird white room where all she's left with are pens and three whole reams of blank paper. She tells her heart wrenching story of how she came to the point of suicide, of the months of deceit that led up to that night in the park.

Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Title: Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Young Adult 
Rating: 4 stars
Format: Paperback, 341 pages
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Publisher: Hodder
ISBN: 987-0-340-98090-3
Source: Bought (from Dymocks)
Other Details: Currently on my swap-list


Description: 


What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last. Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

My Thoughts:

This was a book very much about death but even more so about life.

I was going to give this only 3 stars, but what pushed it higher was Lauren Oliver's amazing writing. She has a way of making the simplest of things sound cool, innovative and different. Her writing is a beauty to behold, but the storyline wasn't bad either!

Review: The Ylem by Tatiana Vila

Title: The Ylem (The Ylem Trilogy, Book One)
Author: Tatiana Vila
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Format: e-book, 184 pages
Release Date: Nov 23, 2010
Publisher: Smashwords
Source: Won via Candace @ Candace's Book Blog






Description:

When Kalista moves with her father to the town of Ruidoso, she doesn't expect her quiet life to change. That is, until she meets mysterious Tristan, who not only increases her heart rate but seems to have a connection with her. Bizarre dreams start crowding her mind, but when she stumbles upon an ancient book she realizes there might be a reason to them. The book wraps a secret, a secret she's part of... 

 My Thoughts..

This was another book I won from entering a competition and I'm so glad I did because The Ylem captivated me from the beginning. I finished the whole book in one afternoon. I mean, who doesn't love a nice urban fantasy/paranormal romance?