Review: Slated by Teri Terry

Kyla's memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She's been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist,
and that they are giving her a second chance -
as long as she plays by their rules.
But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla's mind.
Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems.
Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

I had no idea what this was going to be like!  I don't think I have read anything like this and I haven't heard of the author before, but I saw some good reviews so I decided to try it!

As soon as I started the book I was gripped by it.  The whole book made me want to carry on reading, find out what was going to happen to the characters, discover what happened at the end.  Some parts of the book were very unexpected, which defiately made it hard to put the book down!  I also liked how it was set in the future, but it wasn't hugely futuristic and made the more unrealistic parts of the story fit well, and I liked how the author gave a good idea of WHEN in the future the book is, unlike other dystopian books I have read.  The world the characters live in reminded me of the Hunger Games - I personally am not a THG fan but I think that would appeal to fans.

Parts of when Kyla is trying to find out about her past reminded me of Girl, Missing by Sophie Mckenzie!  Readers who enjoyed that book might like this, too. 

I was expecting ore exciting bits in this story, but instead it was a bit mysterious, which kept it interesting!

However one thing I did not like was the writing style.  I'm not a huge fan of present tense books, and I felt parts of this seemed a bit dull or blunt.  I didn't really have a favourite character and I didn't feel like I got to know the main character, which I think might have something to do with the style.  It didn't really interfere with the book though and after a few chapters I didn't notice it as much, and I know lots of books are written like this at the moment.

I also didn't like the ending much.  While I was reading, I was thinking 'I can't wait to get to the end so I know what happened to this character' but Kyla doesn't find out about hardly anything she was wondering about throughout the book, and I think if these things are continued for some time in the sequel it will feel a little like the story is dragging on and needs something new.  Kyla doesn't even find out a large amont about what happened to her in the past. If the book didn't have extra character dissapearances I think the ending would be better, but I felt a bit annoyed at how I didn't find out what happened. 

I did enjoy this book a lot and I was completly gripped by it, and it had a pretty original idea!  As I said it reminded me of some other books, if you liked them you might like this :).

Rating: 4/5

Showcase Sunday #2

This is a meme hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea where bloggers taking part showcase their new books.
Sorry this is a day late, I didn't have time to post it on Sunday :).

Borrowed from the library.

Unfortunatley I only have one book this week to review :(.

Slated by Teri Terry:  I have heard good reviews of this book, and it sounds quite good.  I'm not really sure what I'm going to think of this book though, but hopefully it will be good!

Review: Double-Cross by Sophie McKenzie

Narrated by Nico, Double-Cross is full of telekinetic action as the Medusa Project team arrive in Sydney, Australia, for another exciting mission - and come face-to-face with two more Medusa teens: Cal, a boy who can fly, and Amy, a girl who can shapeshift...but who is double-crossing who?


I enjoyed every other book in this series, and I was glad I finally managed to read this :).

The book was very fast paced - within the first or second chapter things were happening.  It was very exciting, with events happening very close to each other and with no boring bits at all.  It was slightly unrealistic at times (minus the fact the characters had powers), but many books like this are.

It was narrated by Nico, one of the main characters.  For some reason he annoyed me in this book, but not in the others so much - I don't know if the author intended that or if it's just me, though!  I thought having the chapters from differant character's points of view, like in the last book, but it wasn't something I would have noticed if I hadn't read the last book before tis one.  I like how in this series all the characters are very differant, making them more interesting to read about than a bunch of similar people. 

At times this book was a little predictable, and I could almost guess what would happen at some parts.  However, some bits of the book were quite unexpected!  It ended on a litte bit of a cliffhanger - if I hadn't already read the last book I would be dying to read it! 

I also liked the cover of this book (and others in the series) - the cover has an action packed feel to it, which suits the book.

I would reccomend this book to fans of books with some action. I did enjoy this book, but I thought some bits were a bit predictable but it wasn't boring at all and was an exciting read.  If you're thinking of reading this, definately read the books before it in the series first - it might be a bit confusing otherwise.

Rating: 4/5

Review: Hattori Hachi: The Revenge of Praying Mantis by Jane Prowse

As I turned, Mad Dog shouted, "Hattie - RUN!" Shadowy figures were filling the room. The graffiti on the walls wasn't graffiti at all - it was real people, throwing strange animal shadows and now it looked like they were peeling off the walls. One of them was already on the stairs behind Mad Dog, while around me lizard and panther shadows were turning into humans.
Hattie Jackson is just an ordinary fifteen-year-old - until her mother disappears and Hattie's life is turned upside down. With the help of her friend Mad Dog, Hattie discovers the truth about her mother's 'other life' and the role she must now take on to defeat a terrifying army of evil Ninjutsu warriors, led by Praying Mantis - the most deadly assassin of all ... A thrilling page-turner by an exciting new author.

I thought this book was interesting and differant when I saw it, I don't think I have seen a ninja book before!  It definately looked like a great book.

I was right!  It was excellent.  Although the idea of the book was unrealistic, it was made more beliveable by setting it in a normal place, with the main character being a normal 15 year old girl.  The story was original and not predictable, and apart from eventually meeting the villian, Praying Mantis, I couldn't tell what was going to happen.

The book wasn't full of action and excitement to start with, but this didn't make it boring - it was interesting to read about Hattie's ninja training and all the events that happened.  However, at the end it got very fast paced and exciting!  It did get *slightly* confusing as it was so fast paced.  I loved how there were explanations for everything odd going on, clearing up everything that might have seemed strange during the book.

Parts of this (for some reason) reminded me of the Power of Five books by Anthony Horowitz - I think it was the 'enemies in disguise slowly taking over the world' bits that came into it sometimes.

I liked how each character was individual - none of them seemed similar and had differant good and bad things about them, which made them seem like real people.

Overall I loved this book.  It had a great story, plot and an unusual idea!  I've just seen there is a second book, I will be definately reading this.

Rating: 4.3/5

Review: Della says: OMG! by Keris Stainton

Della's over the moon when she kisses her long-standing crush at a party - but then she discovers her diary has disappeared...
When scans of embarrassing pages are sent to her mobile and appear on Facebook, Della's distraught - how can she enjoy her first proper romance when someone, somewhere, knows all her deepest, darkest secrets?

I haven't read a book like this for a long time, and I wasn't sure what to expect from this at all.

It was very differant to what I thought it was going to be like - I thought it would be mostly focussed around Della trying to find her diary, but I found it was mostly about Della's friends and boyfriend.

This wasn't really my kind of book!  I wasn't a fan of the constant boyfriend problems and everything that happened seemed to be related to the charaters' relationships.  However, I liked how the book wasn't very serious and was quite a lighthearted read, which suited the story.

I also quite liked the cover for this book.  It was simple but still eye catching, not covered in pink hearts like some similar books I have seen! 

Im general I wasn't a huge fan of this, but I know LOTS of people like these kinds of book - it just wasn't my kind of thing to read!  I would reccomend this to anyone who enjoys school/friends/boyfriend stories and nothing too serious!

I'm not going to rate this as I don't think it would be too fair! :)

Review: Blood Ransom by Sophie McKenzie

Clones Rachel and Theo now live thousands of miles apart. They keep in touch, but things just aren't the same. When Rachel discovers that evil scientist Elijah is still working in secret for a section of the government and about to murder Daniel, she sets out to rescue the little boy, but her plans backfire with disastrous consequences. Across the Atlantic, Theo becomes suspicious when Rachel misses their weekly internet chat. He discovers a report online saying she's killed herself and travels to Scotland to find her, certain that she has been kidnapped. A clue leads him to Elijah's mysterious clinic, where the sinister Aphrodite Experiment is underway. But what is Elijah really planning? Why does he need to track Rachel down so badly? And will Rachel and Theo be able to pay the ultimate ransom that he demands?

**MAY CONTAIN MILD SPOILERS!!**

 After reading and enjoying the first book, Blood Ties, I was glad I had finally managed to read the sequel! 

I thought this book was just as good as the first!  It had less action but was still quite exciting.  I liked how the chapters alternated between being narrated by Theo and Rachel, the main characters, which gave me views on what was happening from both of them.  This also gave the book some suspense - often the chapter would end as something was about to happen and I'd want to carry on, only for a new chapter to start! 

One thing I was a bit worried about was that the book might not have much of a point, as I thought the first book didn't really need a sequel.  I was wrong - the book definately had a good storyline and a point to it, with a good ending that didn't make me feel that the book had been pointless.  I thought this book got better nearer the end as it became more exciting.

The characters were also realistic.  For some reason the character Grace annoyed me - maybe it was because how Rachel went quickly from not wanting much to do with her to trying to be with her as much as possible, or the fact I don't like little kids. xD.

Although this book is great, I did think some parts were a little predictable and not completly unexpected, again more near the beginning of the book.  But this didn't make it boring at all - I didn't get bored at all during reading it.

In general I thought this book was excellent! 

Rating: 4/5

Showcase Sunday #1

This is a meme hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea where bloggers taking part showcase their new books.
(this post is scheduled to appear on Sunday the 20th of May, written on Friday as otherwise I would have finished some of the books and posted a review!  Sorry!!)

All borrowed from the library.

Double-Cross by Sophie McKenzie:  I have read ALL the books in this series, apart from this one!  Finally I've managed to get it from the library.  The others were brilliant, so I'm quite excited to read it.

Blood Ransom by Sophie McKenzie:  The book before this one, Blood Ties, was great and I've wanted to read this for ages.  I can't wait to read it, though I didn't think the first book needed a sequel.

The Revenge of Praying Mantis by Jane Prowse:  I've recently read some good reviews about this book, and it's an interesting idea - I've never read a story including ninjas before!  I think this is going to be a good read.

Della says: OMG! by Keris Stainton:  I don't usually read books like this, but I decided to try something a bit differant.  Again, I've read good reviews for this book!  I'm not sure what to expect from this as I haven't read a similar book in AGES.

All of these books will be reviewed on this blog.

All of these books will be reviewed.

Review: Max by James Patterson

Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy and Angel, six extraordinary kids who can fly, are back for another wild adventure as they try to save the world . . . and themselves.

Maximum Ride and the other members of the Flock have barely recovered from their last arctic adventure, when they are confronted by the most frightening catastrophe yet. Millions of fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii and someone--or something--is destroying hundreds of ships. Unable to discover the cause, the government enlists the Flock to help them get to the bottom of the disaster before it is too late.

While Max and her team are exploring the depths of the ocean, their every move is being carefully tracked by Mr. Chu--a criminal mastermind with his own plans for the Flock. Can they protect themselves from Mr. Chu's army of mercenaries and save the ocean from utter destruction?

**CONTAINS SPOILERS!!**

(this wasn't the book cover of the copy I read, but I couldn't find mine)

This is the fifth book in the Maximum Ride series.  I have read book one, three and four - I enjoyed one (The Angel Experiment) and three (Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports) but was a bit dissapointed with four (The Final Warning), so I was unsure of what to expect from this book.

It was better than the fourth book, but still not as good as the earlier ones.  Not much seemed to happen apart from enemies randomly showing up, which got a little predictable after a while but stopped the book being boring and dragging on.  There didn't seem to be much of a storyline -*spoiler* apart from saving Max's mum *spoiler over*, the main characters didn't seem to acheive much, only finding out about the problems mentioned in the description above, but not stopping or helping them - but maybe that's being saved for the next book.

Another thing that got on my nerves with this book (and also the fourth one) was the whole 'saving the world/stopping pollution' thing.  It didn't seem to fit in well at all, and almost as if something had to be added in to carry on the series.  There was also a bit of romance, which was hardly in the other books and I didn't think suited the character of Max at all.

One thing I did like about this book was that it never got boring!  Despite the lack of things happening, it was still a bit humorous and there weren't long bits of boring conversation.  I also thought the characters were pretty good, partly because I've read other books in the series and have gotten to know them.

Overall this was an ok book for someone who's read the other books in the series, or someone who is interested in books involving saving the world or stopping pollution/climate change.  I wouldn't reccomend reading this book without having read some of the books before it, as it may be a bit confusing.

Rating: 3.3/5

Review: Deadlock by Julia Golding

Hello!  This is my first post and review :).

Third in the Darcie Lock series. What if the right man for the job is actually a girl? Darcie Lock is facing her toughest mission yet. Forced to take refuge in a castle on the Cornish coast, she lands in the middle of a UN peace conference that is about to spin out of control. When a hostage situation develops, she is one of the two agents left free on the inside - the only problem is that her partner is an old enemy she last met when he tried to kill her. Being a teenager has never been so dangerous. The perfect action thriller for girls who don’t want to let boys have all the fun.



This book is by one of my favourite authors in one of my favourite series!  Do not be put off by the cover, which makes the book appear a bit girly - this book is full of action and not girly at all.

This new book in the amazing Darcie Lock series by Julia Golding is just as, if not more, exciting than the other installments in the series.  I loved the previous books, so I immediatly knew this was going to be great - and it didn't dissapoint me.

I was gripped by this book from the beginning, and I was desperate to find out what would happen at the end, reading it as fast as possible - only for it to end on a massive cliffhanger!  It was action packed, unpredictable and exciting, while still being realistic and beliveable. This definatly added to how good it was, as many books in the same genre can be quite unrealistic.  Despite the action, the book didn't get confusing at all and it was easy to follow and understand what was happening.

The characters were also great, and by the end of the book I felt like I actually knew them - all through the book I felt happy, sad or shocked along with them!

Overall this book was fabulous.  I would seriously reccomend this book to people who enjoy reading action books - I'm so suprised this series isn't more popular!  Definatly try to read the first and second books before this one as it will make the book easier to understand.  I think a fourth book in the series would be amazing - especially to find out what happens after the cliffhanger - so fingers crossed!

Rating: 5/5

You can't buy this book in a shop or borrow it from a library - here is the author's website where you can find out more about buying it: http://www.juliagolding.co.uk/