Guest Review by Amber: The Perfectionists

The Perfectionists
Author: Sara Shepard
Publication Date: October 2nd 2014        
Publisher: Hot Key Books

Pages: 267

Rough estimate of time it took to read: 1 week (it was a slow reading week)

Source: Gifted by Kirsty 

In Beacon Heights High, Nolan Hotchkiss is king. His charm, wealth and good looks are deceptively seductive, and many are the students whose lives and reputations have been ruined by it. All while Nolan continues to reign, unquestioned and undisrupted. Until now, that is.

Mackenzie, Ava, Julie, Caitlin and Parker seemingly don't have much in common. Each has their own friends, dramas and goals. But one thing they do share: they all have a deep hatred of Nolan Hotchkiss. And they all think it's about time he paid for what he's done. They come up with the perfect murder - a hypothetical murder, of course. It's all wishful thinking ... until they wake up one morning to find that their wish has come true. Nolan has been killed - in exactly the way they planned. The thing is, they didn't do it. So who did?

This is the first time I'm reading and reviewing the same book Kirsty has previously reviewed (if you want to check her review out, you can find it here...) and although I didn't entirely hate it as Kirsty did  (or as she puts it, it felt more of a Pretty Little Liars 2.0) I do have mixed feelings for The Perfectionists. Although I did really enjoy the story, maybe more so because I haven't read Pretty Little Liars (I have had a look at how many there are though and whoa) or watched the TV show, I did have a few issues with the book, mainly due to the characters, but I am looking forward to reading more.

My main problem with The Perfectionists are the characters, I found them to be very very superficial and shallow, and at time a bit "run of the mill" teenager/brat, and it was hard to tell the characters apart from the other. The ending also felt rushed, which since there were quite a few filler chapters, I would've preferred a non rushed ending compared to fillers.

 

Then we come to that ending. And it leaves on a cliffhanger, so now of course I want to find out what happens in the next one, curse you book.

Guest Review by Amber: Possess

Possess
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Publication Date: August 23rd 2011
Publishe  Balzer + Bray

Pages : 382

Rough estimate of time it took to read: 8 Hours

Source: Gifted by Kirsty 

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her overprotective mom, by Matt Quinn, the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, the voices are demons - and Bridget possesses the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. Literally.

Terrified to tell her friends or family about this new power, Bridget confides in San Francisco's senior exorcist, Monsignor Renault. The monsignor enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession, but just as she is starting to come to terms with her freakish new role, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. And when one of her oldest friends is killed, Bridget realizes she's in deeper than she ever thought possible. Now she must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone else close to her winds up dead - or worse, the human vessel for a demon king.

 Reaaaally enjoyed this book a lot, so I'm suddenly really glad Kirsty's pawning off her DNF'S to me. I've you've been reading my reviews (or even just checking out the ratings) then you would know I have only really disliked one or two books, although it is rare for me to hate a book, since I always like to see the good in a book more than being technical (or if you've read some of Kirsty's DNF reviews, cynical sorrynotsorry)

Now, onto Possess...

Guest Review Amber: As I Wake

As I Wake

Author: Elizabeth Scott
Publication Date:  September 15th 2011
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Pages: 269

Rough estimate of time it took to read: 20 (Over a weeks period)

Source: Gifted by Kirsty (Because she also hated it, and she likes to pass on the torture, and she's probably evil eyeing me whilst setting this up) Yes, yes I am.

Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only one problem: Ava can't remember any of them - and can't shake the eerie feeling that she's not who they say she is.

Ava struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted. Ava doesn't know what to make of these visions, or of the boy who is at the center of them all, until he reappears in her life and offers answers . . . but only in exchange for her trust.

Well I don't know what to think of this book. It's complicated. On one hand the main character was interesting to follow. But on the other, the storyline was so scattered it made the entire book difficult to read. Although there are parts where the plot is good and strong, the majority of the book felt rushed and confusing. It's really messed with my mind this book and it kills me to say this but... over all when thinking about the entire book - story - plot - layout - characters ect ect, I have to say I don't like it. And i really wish I did for Ava's story sake.

Guest Review Amber: What Curiosity Kills

What Curiosity Kills (The Turning #1)

Author: Helen Ellis
Publication Date:  May 1st 2010
Publishe Sourcebooks Fire

Pages : 288

Rough estimate of time it took to read: 7 Hours

Source: Gifted by Kirsty

Nobody can know your secret.
Nobody can know your power.
But if nobody knows who you are to begin with...what's stopping you?

I whisper, "What's so special about me all of a sudden?"

Nick says, "The Turning."

Mary feels different, but can't explain why. The fainting, the strange cravings...and worse, the things she's noticed about her body.

Mary doesn't know where to turn. If she tells her parents or her sister, she'll risk losing everything. She has no other family, no way of knowing if what she's going through is normal. Everyone she's ever known and loved could reject her...

I found What Curiosity Kills easy to read even if some of the words tripped me up a little bit. It's fast paced, but paced well with the well thought out plot, and I thought it was executed just as good. Even though there isn't another, I would've liked to have read it.

Guest Review Amber: Shadows

Shadows (Dark Touch #1)

Author: Amy Meredith
Publication Date: April 1st 2010
Publisher: Red Fox

Pages : 240

Rough estimate of time it took to read : 14 Hours

Source: Gifted by Kirsty

Fifteen-year-old Eve Evergold is cute, sassy and enjoying a busy social life. What she doesn't know yet is that someone close to her is an evil demon that only she has the supernatural power to defeat. She needs to work out who it is - and fast! Because although there's something very attractive about the dark side...dating a demon? Pure hell!

I'm going to keep this review short since it's a short book, more like a novella than a full-length novel, and I'm not sure what I feel about it, either.

I'm not sure what to think of this book, the last 6-8 chapters were  worth the read but all the previous ones well I just feel like majority it was wasting my time to read. I really struggled with this book. I don't know what to think as I said the last couple chapters were very very good and made me want to read the next book in the series. But looking at the book over all I would have to admit not worth the read unless you are like me and have to finish a book once you've started just to get the satisfaction of knowing you slugged through it and completed a small challenge.

Guest Review by Amber: Old Magic

  Old Magic 

Author: Marianne Curley
Publication Date: December 7th 2009 
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Pages : 317

Rough estimate of time it took to read : 18 hours

Source: Gifted by Kirsty

Jarrod Thornton is mesmerizing, but Kate Warren doesn't know why.

The moment the new guy walks into the room, Kate senses something strange and intense about him. Something supernatural. Her instincts are proven correct a few minutes later when, bullied by his classmates, Jarrod unknowingly conjures up a freak thunderstorm "inside" their classroom.

Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. When Kate tries to convince him that he has extraordinary powers that need to be harnessed, he only puts up with her "hocus pocus" notions because he finds her captivating. However, the dangerous, uncontrolled strengthening of his gift finally convinces Jarrod that he must take Kate's theories seriously. Together, they embark on a remarkable journey -- one which will unravel the mystery that has haunted Jarrod's family for generations and pit the teens against immense forces in a battle to undo the past and reshape the future. 

* Just a little note

Before I get to the review, I just wanted to add a little message,  this is my first ever book review and  My wonderful cousin, Kirsty (she didn't tell me to say that *cough*)  has lent me some of her books that she couldn't finish,  

Since this is my first review it will only be a short, as I'm still new to this whole scene of things and need some practice.  Although Kirsty and I share some taste in books (e.g. Harry Potter, some of the Vampire genre and some of the classics), I will be reviewing my own (and my romantic partner's), so we'll have a few different genres within MG, YA and Adult. 

So some reviews you get off me will be slightly different than others as its all down to the books and how well or easy I find them to read. (Which will be difficult for me as I suffer from mild Dyslexia, which makes me read slower, but I love to read so will try my best to make my reviews readable with Kirsty's, help of course.)