Blood Red Road by Moria Young

Title: Blood Red Road
Author: Moria Young
Pages: 492
Genre: Dystopia

My rating:

golden star

'They call me the Angel of Death'

I don't think I've ever given a book a golden star before (apart from the Hunger Games)!! But this book just had to be given more than five stars. It is Genius. Amazing. Outstanding. <Insert other good adjectives here>. I had no idea what would happen in this story even when I read the blurb my brain was still puzzling out what was going to happen in the next 492 pages. But it was so good that I finished it within three days plus I was on holiday which means less time for reading. The suspense was killing at points and I got really annoyed with some of the main characters on the second half of the book.

The plot is very unique as it contains no speech (or no speech marks- however you like to put it) or no chapters just nine different sections of the story. The language used is different and more like slang but don't let that put you off because you get used to it in no time at all and the author only used one point of view (I hate it when the chapters begin and the character changes). I can't give too much of the book away because then I'll spoil it for you for when you read it but this is the basics. The narrator of the story is called Saba and one day her twin brother is stolen and she knows she has to get him back. So she journeys out - just her and she doesn't relise how many people are actually on her side.

This is a book that when you finish it you will remember the last line for days and it will stick with you for a long time. I recommend this to people who like:

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

Boy's Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman

Title: Boy's Don't Cry
Author: Malorie Blackman
Pages: 301
Genre: Realistic fiction

My rating:

5 stars

'You have a daughter now'

A friend actually recommended this to me and I have had this on my to-read list for ages now. Also we've just been on holiday so it's been a great opportunity to read this book. First impressions? I just thought it was going to be just one story but as you start to read it you relise that there's a sub-plot going on in the back ground. I've actually never read any of Malorie Blackman's other books before even thought their on my list to read. However I can see why her books are award winning And even this book is on the Carneige long list. I also agree with the reviews on this book and it is very sad and moving but there are bits that make you smile. That's what makes it so gripping. It makes you want to keep reading. I like books that do that:)


The plot is more so explained on the blurb but if you haven't read that then I'll just tell you anyway. Dante Bridgeman has a future. He's waiting for his exam results to arrive any minute when his old girlfriend Melanie turns up at his door. Not quite what he was expecting. And she is carrying a baby, not just any baby, his baby! Her name is Emma. He is told to look after her for a few minutes but those few minutes turn in to a few years which could turn into forever. However he is not alone, his brother Adam and his dad is on his side too and they help him get started. Dante relises his future is damaged but he is determined not to loose his friends either except something happens that leaves all their lives in ruins.

I have to stop now otherwise I will keep going on and on and I won't stop. You'll just have to read it. It's a really engaging book that maybe some people can relate to. I recommend this book to people who like

Being Billy by Phil Earle

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Title:  Forgotten
Author: Cat Patrick
Genre: Realistic
Pages: 304
My rating:

As soon as I started to read this my sixth sense told me it was a good book. I haven't been very lucky with choosing good books this year (although it's only the beginning)I just can't quite find the right book for me. However I was wrong, the book I need was right in front of my eyes.
   I have waited a long time to read this book, but as soon as I got it I didn't expect it to be this good. It took me less than a week to read it and I was gripped from the start. The thing about this book is that it doesn't give the plot and the storyline all away at once, the first chapter is quite confusing if you don't know what is going on but the blurb tells you most of that. Each chapter mostly revels something new that you didn't know, which the author does to keep you hooked. It certainly worked for me.

This book is about a teenage girl called London. Every day at 4.33 AM she forgets her past. She keeps notes on her bedside unit to remind her what happened the day before. Her life is repetative until she meets Luke for the first time. He's her personal weirdo. Her hot weirdo. She's afraid to tell him the truth and she realizes she can't even trust herself anymore. Her life is run by lies and she doesn't know who to trust. Maybe people are keeping more darker secrets than she could ever imagen. The chapters are short so you don't get bored easily and the writing is fluent and gripping. A very good read that I would recommend to anyone that enjoys reading!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Pages: 487
Genre: Dystopia

My Rating:

5 stars

I sometimes get put of by long books, whenever I read them they just seem to take forever. But this, this book is AMAZING!!! Words actually can't describe how good it is. I'm so glad that this is a trilogy. I keep wondering what's going to happen next. The plot isn't that obvious either unlike Twilight when you could practically guess what was going to happen next ut in this book it's not as obvious.

The main plot is that there are 5 different societies and when you are a certain age you can choose which one you want to go to, however not before you've done tests on what they think your society is. Beatrice Prior has her turn to choose but she is divergent - a girl that does not belong in any of the societies so she must choose her future wisely.

I can't wait for there to be a film (apparently in 2015) which is aggggeeeeessssss...
And I cannot wait for the next two books.
Oh, and if you are a member on GoodReads then you probably know that this book won Book of the Year 2011!!!

Inside my Head by Jim Carrington

Title: Inside my Head
Author: Jim Carrington
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 340

My Rating:

A great, realistic book about bullying. Very gripping and compelling read, didn't take me long to read. Each chapter is a new point of veiw either David, Zoe or Gary. Inside my head lets you feel what other people feel and gives you an insight to what Gary feels through out the story. From the very first page, it sets the scene and is easy to get in to.

The story is about Gary who gets bullied but he can't cope with it and loses his temper a lot. Then Zoe comes into his life and he tries to ignore her as much as he can despite his feelings for her, her doesn't want her to get hurt too but still, she won't leave him alone. David, who is the friend of Knaggs, who bullies Gary all the time, feels sorry for Gary but doesn't want to do anything about it because he is afraid of being bullied himself. The plot twists and turns, getting deeper into people's feeling and thoughts until you start to wonder where is the story going.

However much it can get confusing because it switches a lot, it is a brilliant book and a great read.  

The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean by David Almond

Title: The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean
Author: David Almond
Pages: 255
Genre: Fantasy

My rating:

'The Aynjel Childes no mor.

The Aynjel Childes has dun the deeds of monsters.'

This book is hard to describe. It's so weird and twisted in so many ways I can't actually get my head around it. The only reason that I kept reading this book is because I wanted to find out what happened at the end, if not then I definitely would have given up by now. The problems with this book is that there is no storyline. Nothing happens. And the sections don't fit together. Part one, for instance, is about him and the monsters, then he hardly talks about them for the rest of the book. I agree with that David Almond is a absolutley perfect writer and how he used language in this book is so unique but I just didn't understand where the story was going. 

Billy Dean is a monster but he is also the Aynjel Child. He can bring back the dead and heal the wounded. He is a saviour for Blinkbonny. He is a precious and respected child who was born on the day of destruction and survived. The few that knew about him thought he was a miracle. They are right. He was meant to live. He was meant to be. When he ventures out in the world for the first time he meets many new and strange people like Missus Malone and Mr McCaufrey. When people find out he has the power they come from far and wide to see their perished loved ones again and Billy does it for his Father, his terrible, cruel Father. 

I have to admit that I am very glad that I read the ending because the ending was so sad and powerful it seemed right to end a story like that.

 

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Title: Before I Go To Sleep
Author: S.J. Watson
Pages: 365
Genre: Realistic Mystery Fiction

My rating:

'Memories define us.

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?'

This book has taken me over two weeks to read. That is ages for me. The reason that this book got four stars was that it wasn't gripping enough for me to keep reading it. However I'm not saying that overall the book wasn't good. I think the research is amazing and the facts are so accurate that it's awesome. Also this book has a lot to be uncovered so the reader is attracted to it because it is basically a whole secret all the way through. However some bits can get tiredsome and repeated and personally, I think that there is too much description and not enough story line. Perhaps this book just isn't for me.

Welcome to Christine's life. Believe me, it's not a pretty one. Christine is forty-seven. She is amnesiac. When she was twenty-nine she had an accident and every night since - she can't remember who she is when she wakes up. Who her family is. Nothing, only flashbacks. Over the years, her Doctor is convinced that she is getting better, finding out more and more of the truth. If only she could trust one person. The one person that can really help her.

This is a sad and shocking story. I'm am glad that I have read it now and apparently it has been aquired for filming so I hope to see the film if there ever is one. Everything is concluded in the ending which contains much more action and suspense than the first two parts, the ending is actually heart-breaking and made me cry. I recommend to people who like this book:

Unsaid by Neil Abramson

Nobody's Girl by Sarra Manning

Title: Nobody's Girl
Author: Sarra Manning
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 368

My rating:

'Let's face it, no one can be as boring and perfect as me'

It took me a week to read this book which, for me, is quite a long time. There were parts in this book that just didn't keep me hooked for long enough so I ended up giving up and putting off reading it. However the overall writing of this story was genius. I loved how care-free it was and how real the characters were. By the end of the book I was crying with the characters.   

This book is about a sevennteen-year-old girl named Bea. She has a difficult time at home with her mother was is constantly on her back about boys and trys to make her a boring, dull girl so no boys would want her. Bea thinks her life could not get any worst she starts hanging around with Ruby, a popular girl in her school, and when they want to go to spain, they offer to take Bea along with them. Bea is starting to enjoy the peace of not being at home when terrible things start to happen again and once more she is on her own. But maybe a good thing will come out of all of this, maybe she will end up in love.

The reason I gave it only 3 stars was because of the lack of grippingness but the ending made up perfectly for that, otherwise this was a perfectly good story and a really good read! I recommend this book to people who like:

Sara's Face by Melvin Burgess

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Title: Sweetly
Author: Jackson Pearce
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 312

My rating:

‘The sister with the candy emptied a handful of them into her palm, picking out the yellows and dropping them as they continued to trudge forward.’

For nearly a year now, I have waited to get my hands on this book. Partly because I read Sisters Red and I absolutely adored the book and the author. And for the first time, I found this book in my library. Firstly, let me just say that it isn’t perfect. After a while the story line drags on in the middle and makes slow progress but I forced myself to continue because I am not a giver upper. 

   Ever.   

   Never.

   Don’t even consider it.

However there is a lot of mysteries to solve and they do make you think about all the secrets the characters are hiding. The ending, I must say, was a lot better.

This book is a retelling of Hansel and Gretel but, instead, it is very twisted. The main character is named Gretchen which makes me think that she’s a monster but she really just an 18-year-old girl with a brother named Ansel. In this version Gretchen has a twin sister who had vanished in the woods twelve years ago. Then when they’re much older and their step-mother kicks them out, they go and start a new life somewhere which may just lead them even deeper into the mystery of the disappearances...

The characters portrayed a lot of emotion throughout the story about all the people they’ve lost and about the people they love, the writing flows so neatly I forgot that it was actually a story that I was reading. This book wasn't as I expected but however, I totally enjoyed this book and I recommend it to people who enjoyed:

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 338

My rating:

'Somethimes there is such beauty in awkwardness'

I can honestly say now that this book is so beautiful. It is based on a true story that happened during the war in 1941. It is full of love and heart-break, and it is so moving that I managed to read it in one day. I didn't want to read anymore because I was too scared to know what would happen in the end. I got this from my library and I didn't think that I would like it that much but I loved it so badly.

This book is about a 15-year-old girl, Lina who is taken with her family by the Soviets to slavery camps but she needs to find her father first, as she got taken without him, and at the beginning she never knew a thing about what was about to come in the future.

Lina is so real and her voice is true and so heart-breaking. I would recommend this to people that liked 'A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness'

Room by Emma Donoghue

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Pages: 321

Rating:

'Today I'm five'

This book did literally break my heart; I didn’t want to finish it because when I did then I knew there would be no more. I think this book is absolutely beautiful and I guarantee it will never let me go. There are 2 points when I cried, most when they were happysad moments about the unbreakably strong bond between a mother and her son.  

I first got this out from my school library recommended by a friend who didn’t finish it because it was too confusing but because I have seen the reviews before, I always try and read them books to the end and I’m so glad I did.  

This book is about a boy named Jack who narrates the story and he is five-years-old. He has lived with his Ma in a single, locked room for all his life and he doesn’t understand anything about the world outside. It shows you the amazing bond between a Child and his Ma and how they coped together. Jack sleeps in Wardrobe for some of the night to avoid Old Nick, who is his Ma’s captor and Jack believes that all the objects in Room are important to his life. But then his Ma tells him that there is a world out there, one that he’s been missing. And she wants to get out. Ma’s been stuck in Room for seven years and now her only hope is to trust Jack, whatever it takes...   

The characters are made so real they I’m expecting them to get up and walk right off the page. I believed every emotion, every piece of conversation. It all flowed, and even the new characters that came in, I believed them as well. The ending, I think, of books are the best parts to see if the author has put in a big ending and Room had the most brilliant, heart-breaking ending that you could ever imagine.

Plot:

The plot is so unique and such a delicate area of knowledge. Most people don’t know what it’s like to be a five year old but I think Emma Donoghue does. To write a story like that, you’ve just got to be so focused and she done it alright.

Writing:

Some people, maybe young-adult readers, could find this book confusing but until you get past, at least, page 40, then you’re hooked. I think the writing is beautiful and so moving, great effort from Emma Donoghue (whom now is my favourite author). This book has no chapters, only five different parts, which all adds to the effect of a five-year-old, writing the story.

I would recommend this book to people who like...

Before I go to Sleep by S.J. Watson