In Too Deep By Coert Voorhees

Synopsis From GoodReads

Annie Fleet, master scuba diver and history buff, knows she can’t fight her nerd status as a freshman at her Los Angeles private school. And she doesn’t care—except for the fact that her crush, Josh, thinks she’s more adorable than desirable. Annie is determined to set him straight on their school trip to Mexico. But her teacher has other plans: he needs Annie to help him find Cortez’s lost-long treasure.
Suddenly, Annie finds herself scuba diving in pitch-black waters, jetting to Hawaii with Josh, and hunting for the priceless Golden Jaguar. But Annie and Josh aren’t the only ones lured by the possibility of finding the greatest treasure ever lost at sea. Someone else wants the gold—and needs Annie dead. In deeper danger than she ever imagined, can Annie get the boy and find the Jaguar, or is she in over her head?

I like books about the sea and adventure, admittedly they are usually mermaid ones but this one caught my attention.

Annie is a certified diving instructor who works after school in her family scuba shop.
She has a full scholarship for a school for famous kids where her Dad is a teacher.
She has had a passion for treasure hunting which her Dad fueled as a child, but now he had taken a backseat teaching history rather than making it.

Annie is doing a project at school on Cortes' Jaguar set by her teacher Mr Alvarez.
While on a school trip that only she volunteered for, everyone else is there to saved themselves after being caught cheating, Mr Alvarez springs a surprise on them.
The real reason he organised the trip was to go treasure hunting! Along for the ride is Annie's crush Josh; the movie stars son and Katy and Nath; circus freaks.

What starts out as Annie's dream adventure soon takes a turn for the worst and becomes a nightmare (as all good stories require!)

I liked the fast pace of this book and the knowledge behind all the diving and treasure hunting. It was well thought out and i understood all the connections in the story without getting confused. Also by explaining all the diving and technical terms i felt like I was becoming more knowledgeable without it feeling like a lesson.

I liked Annie's character and her insatiable hunger for the treasure for all the right reasons.
However I felt the poor-girl-at-a-rich-school thing has been done before and i didn't really connect with that part of the story because I felt she should have owned it more instead of just pitying herself.
However I did see that the rich kids thing was kind of necessary to fund certain aspects of the expedition.

I felt Annie and Josh's relationship was a bit of a mash up of mixed up signals. I felt it was more contradictory than normal teenage relationships are usually portrayed in books. I couldn't tell if he was on or off and it didn't seem to add up, but it was sweet at times.

Overall I enjoyed this book despite everything seeming to just fall into place a bit too conveniently some times. I enjoyed the treasure hunting aspect and felt a bit like I wanted to look up treasure hunting myself and do a bit of digging.
In a way it reminded me of a Matthew McConaughey kind of film, only with a girl.

I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Ink By Amanda Sun

Synopsis From Goodreads

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building. 

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer.

But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control.

If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets. Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

Before I say anything about the content in this book I want to talk about the cover. Before I read anything about this book I got drawn in by the cover. I loved the Japanese feel and the font of the text. I just thought it was beautiful.

After reading about the book I was intrigued because I love reading books that involve japanese culture such as author Zoe Marriott. And I was not disappointed with the Japanese aspects, however the story wasn't woven quite as well as Zoe Marriott's japanese novels. 

Katie Greene is forced to live with her aunt Diane in Japan when her mother dies, whilst waiting for her grandparents to sort out custody in Canada.

At first she struggles with language, friends and tradition. As if it isn't hard enough for her to be the only 'Gaijin' in the school with her blonde hair making her stand out more. I liked her struggle with the language but also the way she adapted because she was thrown in at the deep end and had to learn with her aunt's encouragement. 

The friendship Katie has with Yuki and Tanaka is easy and relaxed and I appreciated the way they helped Katie feel more welcome and i felt their characters enabled me to see Katie's stronger side but it also made her character more believable. The friendship showed that she wasn't just interested in boys and it gave her, and me as the reader, some insight into Japanese traditions.

I loved the idea of 'Kami' and the Ink coming to like. I was a bit confused at times about how it related to Katie and what exactly it meant but I pushed through and enjoyed it anyway. I am hoping that Katie's role in controlling the Ink is further explained in Book Two.

Tomohiro as a character seemed like a normal teenage boy and i think he was well written and believable I, myself however did not 'fall for him', which as a reader I like to fall for the characters as the story unravels. I enjoyed his relationship with Katie  but at times wanted more conversation or more depth because it felt i was only skimmed the top of their relationship rather than getting right in. However I realise this may be my english nature wanting a more in depth love story, whereas this is written as a love story in a completely different cultured country. I hope their relationship is further developed in Book Two and they as a couple have more depth.

I liked the glossary at the end of the book that allowed me to read the book more fluently and also because I taught myself a little bit of Japanese.

All in all I loved this book and the Japanese history and myths and look forward to Book Two so that I can follow Katie and the mystery of Ink more.

I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The 5th Wave Event With Rick Yancey

So I was lucky enough that the book club I attend received some places for the 5th Wave event with Rick Yancey on Tuesday 11th June.

I had such a great time and found his interview to be excited, funny and interesting, and that Rick himself was personable and easily drew us all into his world.

Not only did we get to hear him talk about the book, how his ideas came about and what his biggest fears were but how he thought he would fare if he were in that world. He kept everyone interested and laughing.

He explained to us that he had read an interview by Stephen Hawking speaking about aliens and how he had said that he hopes they never find us, because if they did it would not end well. Rick then put the alien invasion idea into perspective by telling us that if they found us they would obviously be the superior species and that the superior species always destroys the inferior one. He used the example of moving into a new flat and finding that it has a infestation, would you just live peacefully with it, or would you call an exterminator? Which then made me agree with him that I really really hope aliens never find us.  Showing just how much he got me thinking just by talking about the world he created.

I will admit I hadn’t read the book before the event, I had only read a sample on my kindle but even that caught my attention and then to hear Rick talk about the book I left knowing that I HAD to read the book as soon as possible. Although I have been warned by multiple people not to read it alone, at night!

We also all received a free copy of the book which Rick signed and personalised for us. All in all it was a lovely evening and I am always pleased when I meet authors and find that they love meeting the readers just as much as we enjoy meeting them.

So I’d just like to say thank you to Rick Yancey for doing the event and Penguin Publishing for inviting us along.

I can’t wait to get started on it!

Monument 14 By Emmy Laybourne

Monument 14

On the way to school on the bus there is a sudden natural disaster involving massive hailstones that reek havoc on the buses and the world around them. Out of all the children on the bus only 14 make it out alive when the bus driver gets them to safety in the local food mega store. This book follows their struggle as they try to deal with what is going on in the real world and their fight to survive.

The book is written from Dean's point of view, who (a bit of a clique) likes to write and so records everything in his notebook. I thought his character was lovable and sincere which helped me to connect with him. Being the geeky one he didn't really have a special friend in the situation whereas the other characters were mostly popular and already in little groups.

I liked how everyone reacted differently to what was happening around them; including shell shock, taking control, ensuring structure, separating themselves, getting drunk, throwing away all cares and morals. I thought that it was a genuine portrayal of what would happen.
One thing that did get me a little bit was the fact that everyone seemed a lot older than they actually were, and i understand that in a situation without adults children would step up but I feel that some of it was a bit exaggerated and not realistic.

I thought the author kept me on my toes with the little twists and turns. When I was confident that I could predict what was going to happen I was pleasantly surprised when I was wrong!
I liked the way the author gave little bits of background on each character as it went along, rather than offload a lot of information all at once and then making myself try to remember as it went along. Although I would have appreciated maybe some flashbacks or something so that I could compare more clearly how the characters relationships have changed with what has happened, but then I suppose that can't be expected when it is written from one persons point of view in a notebook style.

The fact that the romantic story line was not too prominent was good. Because although it is written from a teenager point of view the disaster going on around them takes precedence. And I found myself not really caring for the romance anyway so it suited me.

I won't lie at the end of the book I was a bit frustrated to realize that it doesn't finish and is the first book. I was hoping it was a stand alone book but despite that I will be buying the sequel. I would recommend this book to someone who wants an easy read that keeps you on your toes without overpowering you with drama.

The Originals - Cat Patrick

The Originals - Cat Patrick

Lizzie, Betsy and Ella look like triplets, but they are in fact clones of the Original.
They live their lives as one person; Elizabeth Best.
They each get to live a third of a day in the real world. One does the morning, one the afternoon and one the evening. It's been that way for years. The girls have lived contently for years until one of them falls in love.

Their mother is a scientist who saved them from a life in a lab or death but the consequences are that the don't exist, hence the living as one person.

The book is written from Lizzies point of view and she tells the story in a clear way. At times it almost feels as if she is detached from the situation.

I really enjoyed this book, but it was a quick read and I really feel more could have been done with the 'clone' concept. Also it all seemed to solve itself a little too quickly and easily for me, making all the build up seem a bit pointless.

I did enjoy the love interest storyline and the way it was handled, showing how 'Elizabeth' was dating but really it was Ella, Lizzie and Betsy dating which kept it interesting. Also although we're clones of the same people I found it interesting that they all had different personalities and I appreciated that the author didn't go entirely over the top with that.

Overall I found this book quick, interesting and enjoyable but felt it could have gone a bit more in depth and explored the topic a bit more.

The Bunker Diary By Kevin Brooks

The Bunker Diary By Kevin Brooks

The book is written in diary form from Linus’s point of view. He is a 16 year old homeless boy who is abducted from the street when he is trying to help a stranger.

He wakes up in a bunker with only a blank notebook for company and no idea where he is or why he is there.

I liked the fact it was written in a diary form because it felt like Linus, himself was telling me what was going on rather than just reading a story. It also meant he could portray his feelings and thoughts in a more personal way that makes you feel more connected and understanding of him. Also it makes it easier to imagine yourself in that situation because you don’t know what the other people around you are thinking or going through and you only see their development through Linus’ writing, just as he would see it.

I like the fact that the book started and everything picked up straight away, with no long 100 page build up that wasn’t necessary. It just all happened and kept you hooked from the first page until the last. And the twists and turns kept me hooked all the way through.

The fact that it is quite a short book meant that I read it in one sitting, although it is written in short chapters so it’s easy to put down and pick up again, without having to keep checking how long before the end of the chapter.

The end of the book did however leave me wanting more, but it is obvious that was the intention. I did feel a bit numb at the end of the book but in a good way and I couldn’t help thinking about it for days afterwards.

I read this book because it is the May book for our book club. It isn’t something I would have picked up myself because it was quite a short story and I wasn’t sure how much you could do with it, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a fast paced, exciting book that they just can’t put down.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars, purely because I wish it was a bit longer.

Pantomime By Laura Lam

Pantomime By Laura Lam

I thought this book was beautifully written. Each chapter alternates between being narrated by Gene and Micah.

Gene is the daughter of a noble family and forced into dresses and situations that make her immensely uncomfortable by her overpowering mother. All she wants to do is go out with her brother, Cyril and his best friend Oswald. But it becomes harder and harder for her to do so with the debutante ball coming up.

Micah is a young boy who has run away from his troubles to join the circus. He is captivated by the magic of R.H Ragona's Circus of Magic and makes it his dream to join, although they are not as accepting as he hoped they would be.

The book follows both their stories as they find themselves and come to terms with themselves and the events going on around them. Both have brave stories and are immensely brave characters who have a lot to deal with.
I enjoyed the soft romances that followed them both without being a main story line and stealing the lime light from the actual story.

When the link between the two characters is revealed it made me even more determined to read the book to the end, (I won't spoil it!) but it was an amazing twist that I wouldn't have thought would be in this type of story.

I think that maybe the end of the book could have been a little bit more dragged out, because everything seemed to happen at once, although that did make it more exciting.
Also I would have liked a little bit more background knowledge about the Penglass so that I could understand more about what Gene experienced with it.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy young adult books without all the vampires, werewolves and fairy aspects. It really is a book that holds your attention and makes you think about how people who are different from others really feel.

HEART-SHAPED BRUISE BY TANYA BYRNE

Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne

Another book I just absolutely loved. I hadn't picked out this book myself, it was recommended to me by someone and I was unsure I would like it. But as soon as I read the first few pages I knew it had me hooked.

Emily Koll is in a young offenders unit awaiting her trial for her crimes. You don't immediately find out her crimes, only that everyone thinks she is evil, including the newspapers and media letting you know that it was clearly a horrible crime to be in the public eye.

It is written in the form of a journal from Emily's point of view as she talks you through what is going on in the young offenders unit whilst merging in her memories of what built up to her ending up there. Emily's father is a criminal and when he goes to kill a man he is caught unawares by the man's daughter Juliet who in turn stabs him resulting in him being caught and sent to prison.
Emily blames Juliet for not only her father being sent to prison but for the illusion that he is just a normal father being shattered by her actions.

We follow Emily's story of how she slowly builds up to her revenge on Juliet and what landed her in custody.   I love the way little bits are revealed at a time making it hard to second guess exactly what is going to happen. (I hate when I can predict every little story line, but this one kept me guessing.)
I can't help but like Emily's character and understand exactly what she's doing when she's doing it. She is likeable and I can't help but side with her on somethings. This does not mean I condone what she has done it just makes you think there are two sides to every story. Although because I like her so much it is so hard to read at times when she makes wrong decisions and jeopardizing herself even though you know its already happened.
In order to get her revenge Emily becomes Rose which allows her to become a totally different person for her purpose. I think everyone at some point in their lives have wished they could become someone else even just for a little while and in doing so it did allow her to be happier and freer. But because of where Emily is writing the journal from you know that it didn't allow her to get on with her life happily.

There is an element of love interest but not your loving stares across a classroom all the time and no substance story line. It only comes in half way through the book allowing you to get to know the characters themselves rather than just how they fall hopelessly in love.

The ending left me hanging a little bit because I had to come to my own conclusion about what happened but it definitely got me thinking for days afterwards about what had happened to her.

I would recommend this book to anyone and I did in fact do so. I told them to just a little bit to see if they liked it and lo and  behold just like me; once they started they couldn't stop.

WITHER by Lauren DeStefano

WITHER by Lauren DeStefano

I read this book quite a while ago but it still remains one of my favourites. This book is set in a future where girls only live to age 20 and boys to age 25. This is a result of scientists creating the perfect human race free of all disease and illness, but they are now trying to correct the short life span. The cities are overrun with orphans and girls keep going missing.

16 year old Rhine Ellery is abducted by the Gatherers and sold into becoming a bride to Linden to replace his dying wife, along with two other young girls who become her sister brides.  The book follows Rhine and her desperate attempts to escape that life and get back to her twin brother, with the help of a servant named Gabriel.

I love Rhine’s character because unlike some other YA heroines she doesn’t immediately fall desperately in love with the main male character and it makes it more realistic. I think her character is well developed and her relationship with her sister brides is built slowly and based on their experiences together rather than just blind friendship because the main character needs someone to communicate with. I like the way she is objective and doesn’t hate Linden just because he is the one she is forced to be married to. She comes to her own conclusion about him and is really sympathetic towards him because she can see things from his perspective too. She understands everyone’s suffering around her, not just her own.

Her relationship with Gabriel is built up over time and they don’t immediately jump into anything and his character is not an overshadowing hero to her heroine, which makes it more realistic.

I think the world in the book is created in such a way that it seems so real and you believe that it could really happen. She could have gone down a completely different route with the idea of kidnapping young girls to marry them off to have children and I think she has made it into an amazing story of a strong young woman who has her own mind rather than focusing on that factor. I also liked the small flashbacks in it which explain her life before the abduction and life before the genetic engineering changed the world, which helps to understand why Rhine is the way she is and why she makes the decisions she does.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA books, especially those who enjoy dystopian novels. I think it’s different to any book I’ve read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters are well developed and I found myself really caring about what happened to the other characters not just Rhine. Also the world around them is described well and you have a complete picture of what is going on and why it all happened.