Pretty Little Liars:Flawless by Sara Shepard

In the exclusive town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, where the sweetest smiles hide the darkest secrets, four pretty little liars - Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna - have been very bad girls ...Spencer stole her sister's boyfriend; Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher; Emily likes her new friend Maya ...as much more than a friend. And Hanna's obsession with looking flawless is literally making her sick. But the most horrible secret of all is something so scandalous it could destroy their perfect little lives. And someone named 'A' is threatening to do just that. At first they thought A was Alison, their friend who vanished three years ago ...but then Alison turned up dead. So who could A be? Only one thing's for certain: A's got the dirt to bury them all alive, and with every crumpled note and vindictive text message A sends, the girls get a little closer to losing it all.


The first book in this series, Pretty Little Liars, was TERRIFIC and it's one of my favourite books, so I was so excited when this arrived in the post! I wanted to start it right away. Unfortunately, I had a guest over and it would have been rude to just start reading! But a minute after she left I began it and read it in about two days. You really just an't to put this book down, it's so gripping and...creepy. (in a good way)


I liked pretty much all the characters (except 'A' of course!). The four girls, Emily, Spencer, Hanna and Aria were each great in their own way. I warmed to Aria a lot more in this one. I don't know what it was in the last book, I just didn't like her that much. But in Flawless I thought she was quirky, and cool! And she was a really nice person, and I felt so sorry for her, and the rest of the girls, when 'A' tormented and manipulated them. 


The other three...Spencer, I could relate to her. But I didn't like her as much as I did in the last book. I don't know why, she just didn't seem as...nice. Yes, I like my characters nice :)  And Hanna, I thought she was a bit of a spoilt brat. I still liked her though. She was insecure and 'A' reminded her of her past when she was fat and unhappy and for that I hated 'A' even more. Emily was lovely, I think she was my favourite along with Aria. She was so sweet and always trying to keep everybody happy. It isn't just the likability of the characters that matters that much though, it was how believable and realistic they are. Very, in this book! I really  believed that these girls and all the secondary cast were real, and I cared about what happened to them. I think that's a very important thing in a book, because if you don't believe in the characters, why should you believe in the story?


The story! Oh the story. One of the most original I've ever read. Seriously, four girls being sent messages anonymously regarding secrets they only told their dead best friend. Have you ever heard anything like it? It's a bit far-fetched, but it's genius! 


I said in my review of the last book that I found it annoying the way the books were told at an alternating third person POV, but I think I got used to it in Flawless, and so it didn't bother me as much. But what did bother me, was that the book kind of encouraged drugs and alcohol and I don't think that's the message that should be sent out to teenagers. That was probably the books only down-point.


Have you ever seen Pretty Little Liars, the TV show? If you haven't you definitely should. It's brilliant. But funnily enough, it's completely different from the book! There's tons of things in this book that haven't happened in the show, and loads of things in the show that didn't happen in the book! I suppose that's good, though, because you can watch and read and everything will still be a mystery! 


Overall, Flawless wasn't as QUITE good as it's predecessor, but it was still thoroughly enjoyable. I would highly recommend it. I can't wait to read more of this series, and find out, WHO IS A???


Source: Bought
Pages: 304
Age Group: 12+
Official Publication Date: 25th November 2010
Publisher: Atom
Author Website: www.prettylittleliars.com (there is no official author website)

Giveaway at Bookhi!

One of my favourite blogs, the brilliant Bookhi, is having a fantastic giveaway! Fiction Express is an interactive e-fiction website, where readers can buy and read chapters in the available books, and vote on what happens in the next one. For more info, visit MY POST on the site. Anyway, Bookhi is giving away FIVE COPIES (sort of. Not print copies but free credits for the chapters) of the brand new book on the site, Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light. Here's the books blurb:


No-one performs on the circus trapeze like sixteen-year-old Rémy Brunel. But when the circus closes for the night, Rémy leads another life, as a cat burglar and jewel thief. Forced by the evil circus owner Gustave to attempt the theft of one of the world's most valuable diamonds, Rémy thinks it will be just another heist, but when she meets determined young detective Thaddeus Rec, her life changes forever. Will Thaddeus manage to rescue the jewel from Rémy’s nimble fingers? Or is it really Rémy that he needs to save?


Doesn't it sound fab? And here are the giveaway Terms and Conditions:

• The deadline is 8pm on Sunday 14th August 2011, entries in afterwards will not count.
• You don't have to be a follower, but if you like what you see it would be appreciated *wink wink*
• Anyone from any country can enter, as there is no shipping involved!
• The winnners will be at random from random.org so there is a fair chance for everyone.

So go on-enter. You know you want to :D

In My Mailbox #10

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren, where bloggers show what books they received through their mailboxes, from the library, bought and any other way. It's a great 
way to see who's reading what, so make sure you head over and join in!
Library

Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie
I LOVE Sophie's books, especially Girl, Missing, and I've had this on reserve for ages! So I was so happy when I got this. I'm reading it now.











The Spiderwick Chronicles:The Seeing Stone by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
I've already read and loved this. I've recently become obsessed with these books, despite only having read the first two. I can't believe I waited so long to read them, they're fantastic! I'll be getting the next three books ASAP!




I only got two books this week, but I'm happy! I probably won't be posting much next week, because I'll be away a lot (I know, I'm an AWFUL blogger). I'm really sorry, I thought I'd be able to post more during the holidays, but I forgot about going about and seeing people and all that. Anyway. What did you get in your mailboxes? 

Kiss Date, Love Hate byLuisa Plaja - Cover Reveal!

OK, this isn't really a huge deal, because I'm sure most of you have seen this cover already. But it was only revealed a few days ago and I love it, so I thought I'd show it here anyway!


Lex Murphy's group of friends have all dated, hated, ignored and lusted after each other for the last few years. If only there was a way of matching people perfectly to avoid all the unrequited love, dumping and drama!
Then Lex's friend George is given a mysterious Sims-like game by his software-testing dad which involves building character profiles in the categories of Life, Looks and Love. Lex and George populate the game with avatars for all their mates, making a few 'wishful thinking' adjustments to the settings - and find that the next day these tinkerings have come true! But how long can this new calm, loved-up atmosphere continue...?


Isn't it awesome? Isn't it?! Luisa is one of my favourite authors (she's also a fab blogger - check out her reviews at Chicklish) and I've been anticipating the release of this book's cover for aaaages! And it didn't disappoint! I love the design and the colours, and the strapline!  And, cover aside, doesn't it sound AMAZING? I love the concept. I, for one, cannot wait for this book to come out.


What do you think?

My Worst Best Friend by Dyan Sheldon

Gracie and Savannah are best friends – despite being totally different. Savannah is beautiful, outrageous and irresistible to the opposite sex. Gracie is shy, smart and would rather be learning about lizards than meeting boys. Together they make a great if surprising team and it seems like nothing could come between them – but over a long summer Gracie begins to question Savannah's reliance on lies and manipulation to get her own way and wonders whether her friend is quite as confident as she seems. When Gracie meets a boy she really likes, and Savannah comes between them, Gracie realizes that maybe it's time she started thinking for herself. 


Now, I wasn't expecting to like this book much. It sounds predictable and average, nothing very original or different. And I suppose, it was a bit predictable, and not very original, but I really, really liked it! It was a witty, character-driven novel about friendship, first love and becoming your own person. 


As I said before, this is a very character-driven novel, and all of the characters are well-thought out and likeable, bar Savannah. Not that she wasn't a well-thought out, she was, but I didn't like her. At all. She wasn't a nice person, and  thought it was perfectly OK to lie and deceive people, yet she got upset when others did the same back to her. Savannah was selfish, and wasn't a good friend to Gracie. But Gracie was annoyingly naive and kept on thinking Savannah was great. Seriously, sometimes I felt like shouting at Gracie 'Can you not see what a bad friend she is? Get rid of her!'. 


But Gracie was still a fantastic character. She was a bookworm, and really cared about the environment, and animals. I could really relate to her! I liked her relationship with Cooper, a boy she's friends with, but only starts to develop feelings for recently. It felt very real, even though not a lot happened, romantic-wise, between them. They had a lot in common, especially helping others and watching old movies. One of the bits I liked the most was when either Gracie or Cooper quoted lines from old movies and the other had to say what movie it was from, and who starred in it. I learned some great one-liners from this book!


This may seem like a ridiculous complaint, but I thought the book's major fault was Savannah. (It's not really a fault, actually. It's just my constant complaining). I know she was a vital character, and the book may as well not exist without her, but she just annoyed me so much. Every time she appeared in a scene, I felt like sighing and saying 'Oh just go away Savannah'. Yeah, you are now all allowed to laugh at me as much as you want.
I also thought the first half was a bit boring. But the story picked up in the second half,  a lot more happened, and I enjoyed it more.


I really enjoyed this novel! It's a great book, by a great author. Sheldon's writing was excellent and I can't wait to read more by her. My Worst Best Friend is the perfect combination of humour, friendship and romance. Highly recommended to fans of Cathy Cassidy and Cathy Hopkins. 


                                                 Rating: 4/5
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 320
Age Group: 12+
Official Publication Date: 1st February 2010
Publisher: Walker
Author Website: /www.dyansheldon.co.uk

Harry Potter:The Books

Can you believe it? It's all over. The epic 14-year saga has finally come to an end. The eight and final Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released on the 15th July 2011.The seventh and last book in the Harry Potter series came out in 2007, and everyone was sad then :( but at least there was 3 more movies to look forward to :) But now we don't even have that.I feel like crying *sniff sniff* To mark the end, I've decided to do two posts on Harry Potter , one on the books (this one) and one on the movies. I hope you enjoy reading them!

Now, unless you've been living under a rock for the last ten years, I'm sure you will have heard of Harry Potter. If you have been living under a rock, however, here's a short synopsis: Harry Potter is a young orphan living with his mean aunt and uncle. He has always believed that his parents died in a car crash when he was one. Until his eleventh birthday, when a giant man turns up on his doorstep and the truth comes out. Harry Potter is a wizard. His parents were killed by an evil wizard when he was a baby. But the funny thing is, Harry made this evil wizard, Voldemort, disappear! No-one knows how, or why, he's just gone. So Harry goes off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he learns how to turn teacups into rats, to make pencil cases do cartwheels, to ride a broomstick and much more! But more than just magic awaits Harry there...

Sorry, not a great summary! But I think you get the gist.And you probably know what it's about anyway.
I actually began reading Harry Potter books after the last book came out. I loved them straight away. They were witty, exciting, thrilling, mysterious, original, magical and totally, utterly terrific! Yeah, too many adjectives used in that sentence. But that's just how I feel about them! I borrowed them off a friend and I think I read the whole series in about a month and a half, maybe two! *Sigh* I'm just so in awe of J.K. Rowling and her imagination. I wonder what's it's like to be able to think like that, to be able to think up such brilliant original and creative names and ideas. Wow. *Jealous longing*  I seriously hope Rowling writes more books, because I can't get enough of them! I decided to write little mini-reviews (VERY mini) of all seven books. Here they are:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 
The magic begins! Funnily enough, not one of the best books in the series. It used to be one of my favourites but now I prefer the later books. It's still great though! Harry finds out he's a wizard and goes into his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Excitement follows!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
This is one of my favourites!I love the story, especially. And 'Her Skeleton Will Lie In The Chamber Forever'? *Shudder* It's creepy! (Sorry, if you haven't read the books you probably don't understand this!) Dobby also makes his first appearance in this book. Dobby is the best elf ever. Those last two sentences were to be read in an extremely serious voice. Anyway! Harry starts his second year at Hogwarts, where there is a dangerous plot to kill him!
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The brilliance continues! Harry third year at Hogwarts begins, and there is a deranged murderer on the loose from wizard prison, and he's after Harry! This is the only book where Voldemort doesn't appear in some form, but that doesn't mean there's any less action! There's lots of surprising twists and it's really enjoyable.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
I think this might be my favourite book in the series. I love the characterism (is that a word? Spellcheck says it isn't.), the fast-paced plot, the darkness (not literally, of course!) and everything else about it. It also happens to be the only book I don't own. But that will change soon. In this book, Harry goes into his fourth year at Hogwarts, where he finds that the Triwizard Tournament, a  fun but dangerous wizarding tournament where the contestants have to face three difficult challenges, is taking place at Hogwarts. Darkness awaits him there...
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 
The longest book in the series, with over 750 pages. This is the beginning of the books becoming darker, after Voldemort returns. And some jaw-dropping revelations at the end of this book, seriously! A great book, but I found the end a bit too long, and a little confusing. Harry is in his fifth year at Hogwarts, after witnessing Voldemort return to power the previous summer. But, most of the rest of the wizarding world and the Ministry don't believe him!
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
This book is very dark and serious. But there are some funny parts too :) R+L, LOL! This book is very important to the final book, you wouldn't understand most of what's going on in it if you hadn't read this one. Harry is in his sixth year at Hogwarts. It's now known throughout the wizarding world that Lord Voldemort had returned. Harry starts getting special lessons from Dumbledore, (Hogwarts' headmaster) to help him defeat Voldemort. Shocks are in store throughout.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The Epic Finale. Yes, I put that in capital letters. Deathly Hallows was probably the most eagerly awaited book ever. And as you would expect, it's amazing! It lived up to all of it's expectations! It's only downfall is that it means there's no more HP books :'( So much happens in this book, most notably all the deaths, new relationships (H+r 4ever <3) and of course, the epic Battle of Hogwarts. This book doesn't exactly need explaining...but I will anyway. Harry, Ron and Hermione should be in their seventh and final year at Hogwarts, but instead they're out hunting Horcruxes! This is the epic finale.This is the final showdown. This is the end.

In My Mailbox #9

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren, where bloggers show what books they received through their mailboxes, from the library, bought and any other way. It's a great 
way to see who's reading what, so make sure you head over and join in!
Bought

The Wish List by Eoin Colfer
I haven't heard much about this book before, but I've heard the author is good, and I saw this in a one-off bookshop for only 2.50 so I said why not? I hope it'll be good.








I only got the one book this week, but after last week, I didn't need many more! I'm really sorry for not posting again :( but I was away for the week! But I'll try and have a review and another secret post *mysterious look*. Well, it's not that secret because you'll see it in a few days.That backfired. Oh well! Moving on! I hope you got some good books too! Make sure to tell me what you got in the comments!

In My Mailbox #8

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren, where bloggers show what books they received through their mailboxes, from the library, bought and any other way. It's a great way to see who's reading what, so make sure you head over and join in! Lately I've been having a bit of a problem with posts that include more than one picture, so IMM posts are the worst! Last week it took me nearly an hour to sort out all the pictures and everything! I got nine books this week, so I'm just going to post the titles, not pictures of the covers to save me the stress.


Bought
A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler
Blue Gene Baby by Fiona Dunbar
The Medusa Project:The Set-Up by Sophie McKenzie


Library
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Million Dollar Mates:Paparazzi Princess by Cathy Hopkins
Trash by Andy Mulligan
Cherub:The Recruit by Robert Muchamore
Percie Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Spiderwick Chronicles:The Field Guide by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi


I am so happy! I love my library :) I'm super excited to read all of these books. So that's it for me this week.


What did you get in your mailbox?

Wuthering Hearts by Kay Woodward

Passion, the Yorkshire moors, a wild and handsome stranger . . . sound familiar?
When Robert arrives in town with his dark good looks and mysterious background, Emily has a huge crush! It’s almost enough to take her mind off this year’s school play . . . miserable, wailing Wuthering Heights.
But Robert is no prince, with his black moods and fierce temper. The beautiful untamed moors would be the perfect backdrop to their fiery romance, if only Emily could work it out.
On stage or off stage, will Emily ever be the Cathy to his Heathcliff?


I knew I would love this book, even before I started it.  The cover is AWESOME! Yes, I know it's superficial to judge a book by it's cover, but it's just so bright and pretty. And it's not just that. It sounded really good! I love books about acting and drama, they're always so fun! And Wuthering  Hearts lived up to my expectations.


I haven't read Wuthering Heights, but I think I'll have to after this! The classic novel was a  big part of the book, what with the play and everything. At first, Emily doesn't like WH -despite not even reading it! But by the end, it's her favourite book! 


The setting was great  - I liked how it was the same place as where the Bronte's lived. It was all described well - I could see the the wild windy moors perfectly. Despite not really knowing what a moor looks like. *Google images moor* Ah, now I see. They're quite nice. :)


The characters were all fun and likeable. Emily was crazy and really dramatic, my favourite type of character! I liked Robert too, but I thought he was a little annoying. He was a bit too 'poor me' and whenever Emily tried to help him he just got all cross. He was OK in the end though. Emily's Auntie O was fantastic, always listening to Emily's problems and giving her great advice. I wish I had an Auntie O :D The rest of the secondary characters were brilliant too, like Emily's sister Jenna, her friend Maia and the mean girl Lexie.


The plot was a bit weak. It was quite predictable. There wasn't many twists and I knew what was going to happen in the end. But despite that, it was still enjoyable to read.


 Wuthering Hearts is a funny, enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining book. I would recommend it to fans of Luisa Plaja and Louise Rennison. I am really looking forward to reading Kay's other books, especially 'Jane Airhead', another Bronte-themed novel. Good job Kay!


                                                Rating: 3.5/5


Source: For review from publisher
Pages: 224
Age Group: 10+
Official Publication Date: 7th July 2011 (Yesterday!)
Publisher: Andersen Press
Author Website:www.kaywoodward.co.uk 


Thank you to Sarah at Andersen Press for sending me this to review.
Review done as part of the British Books Challenge 2011, hosted by The Bookette.

In My Mailbox #7

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren, where bloggers show what books they received through their mailboxes, from the library, bought and any other way. It a great way to see who's reading what, so make sure you head over and join in!

                                         Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson 
I bought this as part of a 3-for-2 deal (I also bought the next two books as part of this deal) and I'm so happy! I LOVED Anderson's book 'Knife' it's one of my favourite books ever, and this sounds awesomely creepy! I can't wait to get started.
                               My Dad Is Ten Years Old by Mark O'Sullivan
I thought this sounded really interesting and original. I am really looking forward to reading it.
                                   The Real Rebecca by Anna Carey
I have heard about this before, and thought it sounded really funny. I've already read it, and will probably be reviewing it soon.
                               
                             Pretty Little Liars:Flawless by Sara Shepard
I just HAD to get this book. If you've read my review of Pretty Little Liars, you'll know why! I've read this already as well.
                               The Boy In The Dress by David Walliams
Well, actually, my brother got this,but I'll definitely be reading this too! I've read Walliams' other two books, and they were brilliant. If you're a fan of Roald Dahl, or just funny books in general, PLEASE read this man's books!


So that's what I got this week! I have just realised - I only posted FOUR TIMES in June - I'm soooooo sorry! I'm a bad blogger :'( I promise, I'll post more :) 


What did you get in YOUR mailbox?