Release Date: June 2010
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Young Adult
Lots of action, some teen romance, moderate violence in a few places, tissues needed
Lots of action, some teen romance, moderate violence in a few places, tissues needed
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Nayuleska's Thoughts:
Sisters Red is one book I've been eager for (and refused to read anything about it). The cover alone caught my eye. When I first read it I thought Little Red Riding Hood! It is LRRH in the modern world. With more than one wolf. Eep! More than one LLRH too.
For me it was the characterisation of the sisters. They are so different. What they each try to hide from the other ends up out in the open. It doesn't mean they drink tea and make up. The secrets are huge and do change their lives forever. There is so much internal and external conflict between the sisters that there was always something on each page to make me gasp. I love this book and yes I'm getting my own copy :) I found a lot of myself in the work driven Scarlett, and also a lot of the inquisitive nature of Rosie. Rosie wants to live a little. She wants to explore the world as she should do.
The relationship between Rosie and Silas is relatively mild content wise, and quite sweet at times. The impact it has on both them, Scarlett, and in some respects the whole world had me going wow at the roles they play in the book. The wolves are really scary - I've never liked dense woods and I like them even less now! The ending is brilliant, and I'd love it if there was a sequel.
Final conclusion:
Modern Little Red Riding Hoods fight well, live a little, learn a lot.
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448 pages, Hardback
Young Adult
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Summary from Orion Books:
April Dunne is not impressed.
Final thoughts:
She's had to move from Edinburgh to Highgate, London, with her parents. She's left her friends - and her entire life - behind. She has to start at a new school and, worst of all, now she's stuck in a creepy old dump of a house which doesn't even have proper mobile phone reception.
Ravenwood, her new school, is a prestigious academy for gifted (financially or academically) students - and the only place her parents could find her a place, in the middle of term, in the middle of London, on incredibly short notice. So she's stuck with the super-rich, and the super-smart . . . and trying to fit in is when the rest of the students seem to be more glamorous, smarter, or more talented than she is, is more than tough. It's intimidating and isolating, even when she finds a friend in the conspiracy-theorist Caro Jackson - and perhaps finds something more than friendship in the gorgeous, mysterious Gabriel Swift.
But there's more going on at Ravenwood than meets the eye. Practical jokes on new students are normal, but when Gabriel saves her from . . . something . . . . in the Highgate Cemetery, and then she discovers that a murder took place, just yards away from where she had been standing, April has to wonder if something more sinister is going on.
. . . and whether or not she's going to live through it . . .
More on the Ravenwood series can be found at www.ravenwoodmysteries.com
Welcome to Ravenwood, the school with bite - the new YA sensation is here!
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Ravenwood, her new school, is a prestigious academy for gifted (financially or academically) students - and the only place her parents could find her a place, in the middle of term, in the middle of London, on incredibly short notice. So she's stuck with the super-rich, and the super-smart . . . and trying to fit in is when the rest of the students seem to be more glamorous, smarter, or more talented than she is, is more than tough. It's intimidating and isolating, even when she finds a friend in the conspiracy-theorist Caro Jackson - and perhaps finds something more than friendship in the gorgeous, mysterious Gabriel Swift.
But there's more going on at Ravenwood than meets the eye. Practical jokes on new students are normal, but when Gabriel saves her from . . . something . . . . in the Highgate Cemetery, and then she discovers that a murder took place, just yards away from where she had been standing, April has to wonder if something more sinister is going on.
. . . and whether or not she's going to live through it . . .
More on the Ravenwood series can be found at www.ravenwoodmysteries.com
Welcome to Ravenwood, the school with bite - the new YA sensation is here!
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Nayuleska's thoughts:
This is a must read series. I know I press books on people a lot, but seriously - read this book! It's amazing. There are vampires, but their impact in April's life is hidden for much of the book. It really is about her life at the school, and the mystery of the events in her new home. The level of mystery and danger is high. I got attached to April early on in the book, and as events unravelled my stomach flip-flopped in horror at some moments, and other moments I was laughing quite a bit. There's so much passion in April's life, her emotions are in a lot of turmoil throughout the book. When certain plot threads were revealed, events in the earlier parts of the book made sense as to why they happened that way.
April made the book for me, but I have to admit so did all the secondary characters. Every single one flew up off the page into my head. Caro is hilarious. She is the most normal person around. Gabriel certainly makes life interesting for April (there is a little bit of teen angst), and adds to the mysteries in her life.
Final thoughts:
April has a mystery in her life every other minute: lots of suspense, secrets and plot twists in the this book. Go buy it! (It ranks alongside (potentially a notch higher) than Fallen by Lauren Kate)
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Young Adult
Some mild romance, suspense, high drama, some humour too
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Summary from Macmillan Children's Books:
Ever and Damen have travelled through countless past lives – and fought off the world’s darkest enemies – in search of each other. But just when their destiny seems finally within reach, a powerful curse falls upon them. A single touch of their hands, a soft brush of their lips will mean death for Damen – cast into the darkness of the Shadowland. But as she seeks to break the curse, Ever meets Jude – a green-eyed, golden surfer boy who understands magick, and understands Ever better than she realises. And she begins to ask a terrifying question: even if you’re immortal, can true love really last forever?
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Nayuleska's Thoughts:
I think Evermore was the first book i read that I'd heard a lot of hype over. I loved how Ever saw her emotions (my review is here). Book 2, Blue Moon will be reviewed at some point. But now, I present Shadowland. What the title refers to is in the book, but it's not a great a role as I thought. This didn't detract from the book. The book explores how far Ever will go to help save Damen. To be fair, they do find a solution of sorts to their problem. It's a clever one, and it reduced the magnitude of their problem in my eyes.
Jude plays a role (naturally), and that can remain a mystery until you read a book. My favourite characters were the twins. The way they interact with Damen and Ever is funny. I loved watching their characters developed, how slowly they learn about various aspects of life. I'm really eager to see them in action in book four, Dark Flame. The twins possibly rival Riley in my character ranking.
Final thoughts:
Some issues aren't answered in Shadowland, it is all leading up to Dark Flame, especially the ending. Definitely a series I'm keeping safely on my shelf!
2 comments:
These are all great thoughts on great books! Well done :)
Thank you!
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