Ashes

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick - 2011


Book 1 of the Ashes series.

Blurb....
Alex has run away and is hiking through the wilderness with her dead parents' ashes, about to say goodbye to the life she no longer wants to live. But then the world suddenly changes. An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky zapping every electronic device and killing the vast majority of adults. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who has changed... Everyone still alive has turned - some for the better (those who acquired a superhuman sense) while others for the worse (those who acquired a taste for human flesh). Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the zombies that are on the hunt, Alex meets up with Tom - an Army veteran who escaped one war only to find something worse at home - and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse. This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to find food, shelter, while fighting off the 'Changed' and those desperate to stay alive. A tense and involving adventure with shocks and sudden plot twists that will keep teen and adult readers gripped.

I had no idea what this book as truly about. By reading the blurb I thought OK newbie I'll give it a go. Only a couple of chapters in and I'm thinking oh boy. This must be my first foray into zombieland and I'm still not quite sure what I think about it. When I finished reading this story I checked out the reviews and to see when the next installment comes out as the ending leaves you with a massive cliffhanger, but the reviews were mixed. I definately agree that the first half of the book was fast-paced and edgy, however, the second half seemed to get bogged down and left you wondering what the author has planned. Well the last page gives you the answer. I will read the next book and then I think I will make my mind up to see whether I can read the last. Hmm....

Whisper

Whisper by Chrissie Keighery - 2011

Blurb ....
I'm always trying to figure out what's really going on. Always having to fill in the gaps, but never getting all the details. It's like trying to do a jigsaw when I don't even know what the picture is, and I'm missing one of the vital middle pieces.

How do you know if your friends are talking about you behind your back or if a boy likes you? They could act innocent, but you'd know from the rumours. You'd hear the whispers. But what if you couldn't hear those whispers anymore? What if everything you took for granted was gone? Being a teenager is hard enough.

Immediately there is a connection between Demi and the reader. Your heart feels for her. Her story starts with her journey on the tram to her new school, the start of her new life. Demi is now deaf and her new world is closed off, she is frustrated, angry and lonely. Demi lets you see glimpses of her old life and how she is coming to terms that nothing will ever be the same again. Can she still follow her dreams? Will she ever find friends who just 'get' her and will she find someone who just loves her? Hmmm no spoiling here, you will just have to read it for yourself. You won't be disappointed. I loved it.


Visit Chrissie's site: http://www.chrissieperry.com/Whisper.html

Heart of danger

Heart of danger by Fleur Beale - 2011
Book 3 of Juno series

Blurb ....
Juno and her family arrive at their new home, but almost immediately danger threatens Hera and they move to Willem's protection in New Plymouth, the city Juno most hoped to avoid. Fairlands school is too like Taris, and Hilto's son Thomas is a pupil there. The handsome Ivor is also there and soon begins to pay attention to Juno in a way she finds both confusing and exciting. Juno's special mind powers are called upon to help her save Hera, and HEART OF DANGER carries on to be a rollicking read that veers between scary situations and Juno's discoveries about love and learning more about the powers of her own mind. 

                                     

 Juno of Taris by Fleur Beale - 2009
Book 1 of the Juno series.

Blurb ....
Juno is a young teen who lives – in the not-too-distant future – on Taris, a bubble-covered island in the Pacific, to which a select few hundred people were evacuated when the Earth was under threat. On Taris there are many rules governing appearance, behaviour, even procreation, but all are for the good of the community, to ensure the survival of humankind. Or are they? As Taris begins to break down and Juno's questioning nature takes hold, she uncovers some startling inconsistencies in the 'facts' she has grown up with.

Fierce September by Fleur Beale - 2010
Book 2 of the Juno series.

Blurb ....
Juno and the Taris inhabitants must leave their dying island. The young people are entranced by the prospect of a life Outside, despite the hate campaigns against them. There are the fashions, the technologies and best of all for Juno, the freedom from extreme control. But Taris doesn't give up its hold so easily, and Juno is shocked to find that the island held more secrets than anyone knew. She wants to bury her head, ignore what she's discovered and forge ahead to find her own place in this new world. If only it were that easy...

Coming in 2012, 'Nash's story'

Silvermay

Silvermay by James Maloney - 2011

Blurb ....

Sixteen-year-old Silvermay can’t help falling for the dark, handsome youth who shows up in the village. But he is a man she has no right to love; he is with Nerigold and baby Lucien. The trio are fugitives on the run from Coyle, a corrupt and cruel Wyrdborn. As they make ready to flee once more, Silvermay is swept up in their adventure. She finds herself losing her heart to all three as they travel through the forest to the heart of the mountains and beyond. She also discovers that the evil they are running from will test not only her love, courage, and trust, but will test the very essence of her humanity.

Book one of the Silvermay triology. The reader is taken on a journey set in a time and place unknown, where evil lurks and survival is a battle. When 16 year old Silvermay finds herself responsible for caring an ailing young mother and her new born son on a journey out of harms way she fears for their safety and comes to rely on Tamlyn for support and strength. Never did she ever realise the importance of their quest or understand what true evil is until she sees the mosaic on an unearthed  wall. Fear of what could happen rests heavily on her as she looks into the eyes of a young baby boy who could be the reason for such evil.

Visit Jame's site: http://www.jamesmoloney.com.au/

Tiger's curse

Tiger's curse by Colleen Houck - 2010


Blurb ....
The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and  mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.
Book one of tiger trilogy. This story takes you on a beautiful journey through India. Your imagination runs wild with exotic places, foods and culture. Kelsey's life turns upside down when she agrees to work for a travelling circus for two weeks. She finds herself on a journey to India to undo the curse that has been placed on Ren, a white tiger, who is actually an Indian prince.
I absolutely loved this story and I look forward to the second installment.

Tiger's quest by Colleen Houch - 2011

Blurb ....
Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. But danger lurks around the corner, forcing her to return to India where she embarks on a second quest--this time with Ren's dark, bad-boy brother Kishan, who has also fallen prey to the Tiger's Curse. Fraught with danger, spellbinding dreams, and choices of the heart, TIGER'S QUEST brings the trio one step closer to breaking the spell that binds them.
Book two of Tiger trilogy. Oh my, what an adventure. Just when you think everything will work out, Bam! you get hit by a curve ball. I absolutely love this series and would have to say that it would sit in my all time favourites list. I am literally hanging out for the last book (due November 2011). Bring it on!
Visit the Tiger's curse site: http://www.tigerscursebook.com/

Wicked appetite

Wicked appetite - Janet Evanovich - 2011

Blurb ....
Lizzy Tucker has a way with cupcakes, and she’s inherited a great-aunt’s 1740 saltbox house in Salem, Massachusetts, plying her trade at Dazzle’s Bakery in town. Who should turn up in her living room but Diesel (Visions of Sugar Plums, 2002), who is extremely handsome, very strong, and not entirely human (if not entirely angelic). Diesel is locked into a cosmic battle with his cousin Wulf, specter-thin with more than an air of sulfur about him. Lizzy, who may or may not have a secret, special ability, is needed by Wulf and Diesel to recognize objects of magical power. What follows is a romp that careens wildly between impossibly silly and impossibly adorable (and includes the reemergence of Carl the monkey from Evanovich’s Plum Spooky, 2009). Lizzy gamely attempts to make sense of oddly magical occurrences (in possession of one of the magic charms, she can’t stop eating; in possession of another, she wants household goods and babies now), while simultaneously dealing with some fairly specific threats involving Wulf and resisting Diesel’s obvious affection and attraction.

As usual Janet's stories leave you with a smile on your face. This one doesn't disappoint with the dangerously sexy Deisel and his latest quest to keep mankind save from the perils of evil. It is a laugh out loud, shake you head at the antics of the main characters, with a tease of sexual tension.
For those who love the Stephanie Plum series, it is a very similar story line with supernatural themes and her additction to all foods and a great sense of humour.

I absolutely love Janet and I am definately looking forward to the next book.

Visit Janet's site: http://www.evanovich.com/

Skinned

Skinned by Robin Wasserman - 2009 - Now re-released as Frozen

Blurb ....

Everyone will die someday. Everyone but Lia.

The Download was supposed to change the world.
It was supposed to mean the end of aging, the end of death, the birth of a new humanity.
But it wasn't supposed to happen to someone like Lia Kahn.
And it wasn't supposed to ruin her life.

Lia knows she should be grateful she didn't die in the accident. The Download saved her--but it also changed her, forever. She can deal with being a freak. She can deal with the fear in her parents' eyes and the way her boyfriend flinches at her touch. But she can't deal with what she knows, deep down, every time she forces herself to look in the mirror. She's not the same person she used to be.

Maybe she's not even a person at all.

The sky is everywhere

The sky is everywhere by Jandy Nelson - 2010

Blurb ....
Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery sister Bailey.  But when Bailey dies suddenly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, finds herself struggling to balance two.  Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own.  Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent.  For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it.  But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding.

Blood song

Blood song by Rhiannon Hart - 2011

Blurb ....
When her sister becomes betrothed to a prince in a northern nation, Zeraphina’s only consolations are that her loyal animal companions are by her side – and that her burning hunger to travel north is finally being sated.
Already her black hair and pale eyes mark her out as different, but now Zeraphina must be even more careful to keep her secret safe. Craving blood is not considered normal behaviour for anyone, let alone a princess. So when the king’s advisor, Rodden, seems to know more about her condition than she does, Zeraphina is determined to find out more.  Zeraphina must be willing to sacrifice everything if she’s to uncover the truth – but what if the truth is beyond her worst nightmares?


I have just come across this new Australian author and found it interesting that she has the same name as someone else I know.  As I was reading the blurb for this book I was thinking hmm another vamp book. However, when I was actually reading the story I found that I was totally off the mark. It is set in the time of kings and queens and princesses marrying for border protection and money and hopefully love. Zeraphina always new that she was looked different to her mum and older sister but couldn't understand why and why is she always craving blood? I did enjoy this story and I look forward to reading the second book.

Visit Rhiannon's site: http://rhiannon-hart.blogspot.com/

Matched

Matched by Ally Condie - 2010


For all those YA groupies who absolutely loved The Hunger Games, the Rose Black chronicles and the Juno series and need another dystopian book to read, well you have just found it.
Everything was supposed to be perfect when Cassia found out who her match was, but then she started questioning her life, and just how much control the Officials have on her life. Falling in love with the wrong guy leads Cassia on a journey where she will need to fight for her life and for those she loves. I cannot wait for the next installment.
Visit Ally's site: http://www.allysoncondie.com/

Crossed. Book 2 by Ally Condie - 2011

Numbers : time to run

Numbers : time to run by Rachel Ward - 2009

Blurb ....
Since her mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Jem has kept a secret. When her eyes meet someone else’s, a number pops into her head – the date on which they will die. Knowing that nothing lasts forever, Jem avoids relationships, but when she meets a boy called Spider, and they plan a day out together, her life takes a new twist and turn. Waiting for the London Eye, she sees everyone in the queue has the same number – something terrible is going to happen.’

This is book one of the Numbers trilogy. Based in the U.K. it starts off introducing us to the main character Jem. She is a 15 year old who has learnt to make herself  'invisable' so people don't notice her. Jem has a gift/curse where when she look into people's eyes she sees numbers, not just random numbers, these numbers are the date of when that person will die. This book sets up Jem's character and the rollercoaster her life goes on when choices are made. In some places I was a bit over Jem and her moods/attitude towards life and people, however, when I was left with a clifthanger of an ending I understood why Rachel Ward spent so much time letting us get to know Jem. I'm looking forward to reading book 2 Numbers : Chaos.


Visit Rachels site: http://www.rachelwardbooks.com/