Saturday 28 September 2013

YA Book Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Paperback
356 pages
Expected Release Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Internment Chronicles, Book 1
HUGE thank you to S&S Canada for sending me this book to review!


On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.
Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.


This book was my introduction to Lauren DeStefano. I have the Chemical Garden Trilogy sitting right over there on my shelf, but I haven't read it yet.
After reading Perfect Ruin, that trilogy will be moved waaaaaay up in my TBR pile.
This book was AMAZING.

You know when you read a book, and the plot just makes you go, 'WHERE DID THIS EVEN COME FROM IN SOMEONE'S BRAIN?!'? Like The Hunger Games or Harry Potter or the Uglies series? Where the author just blows your mind because you have no idea how someone could be so brilliant and have an imagination so wild that it thinks up the most wonderful things?
Yeah, THAT'S what this book is.

Hundreds of years ago (probably), a huge chunk of the earth is somehow taken from the ground and put up into the sky. Way up, like, miles and miles and miles. And it just kind of...hangs there.
The people who live on the earth have no contact with the people who live in the sky--which is called Internment.
The people who live on Internment pretty much believe that their 'sky God' is responsible for everything that happens in their lives. 
But some question that, and some feel like they want more out of life. Some even try to go to the edge--something that is strictly forbidden--and see the ground for themselves. And sometimes those people even try to jump off.

Perfect Ruin is the story of Morgan, who's brother was one of those jumpers.
Morgan is a normal girl on Internment, with normal friends and a normal boyfriend--her betrothed, because the people of Internment can't choose who they want to marry.
But Morgan, like her brother, wants more
And so the story begins.

I really enjoyed the romance in this book. It's not shoved in your face with constant make-out sessions.
It's subtle and sweet and just really normal. 
I loved pretty much every character, with the exception of Royals--who we're supposed to hate--and Thomas, but I think even he will grow on my throughout the series.
Pen, Morgan and Basil are particularly easy to relate to.

I'd definitely recommend this book to all kids 12 and up, and to their parents. 
It's definitely a great book to read together and discuss.

The only downside? 
Now I have to wait until 2015 for book two! [Vader]NOOOOOOOOOOO![/Vader]

Sunday 22 September 2013

What Am I Watching? Fall 2013

Better late than never!

Here's what I'm watching this season!

New Shows:

Sleepy Hollow


Agents of Shield


The Crazy Ones


The Originals


The Tomorrow People


Once Upon A Time In Wonderland


Reign


Dracula


Almost Human


The Michael J Fox Show


The Blacklist


Hostages


Returning Shows:

American Horror Story
Arrow
Beauty and the Beast
Bones
Castle
Grey's Anatomy
Homeland*
Glee*
Nashville
New Girl
Once Upon A Time
Sons of Anarchy
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries
The Walking Dead

Dropped Shows:

Chicago Fire
Elementary
Revolution
Grimm
Person Of Interest

(* I'm a few seasons behind and plan to watch live if/when I can catch up)

Shows That Will Be Cancelled First:

Dads
The Goldbergs
Lucky 7
Sean Saves the World
Trophy Wife

And there it is!
Of course, many of these shows will be PVRed to watch when I'm able, and I'll have to catch others On Demand because tons of shows conflict for me this year (Thursdays are insane!).

So what are YOU watching this season?!


Sunday 15 September 2013

Book Review: HERO is a Four Letter Word by J.M. Frey

eARC
Expected Release Date: Sept. 23, 2013
Publisher: Fast Foreward
Author: J.M. Frey
Big thanks to JM for providing this book for review!




Good and Evil. Two sides of the same coin? Or something less defined, something more liminal? Entertaining and always thought-provoking, author J.M. Frey offers three remarkable stories that explore the grey area of the hero/villain dichotomy in this debut short story collection.


Funny and irreverent, "The Once And Now-ish King" finds King Arthur reborn. "Just A Four Letter Word" follows Jennet, descendant of mythic lovers. In "The Maddening Science", a former supervillain is forced to return to a life of crime to save his stalker.



Heroes. Villains. Monsters. Fairy Tales. Myths. Legends. Who is the good guy, who the bad, and who gets to decide which is which? After all, 'hero' is just another four letter word.







JM has done it again, you guys! This is such a fun book!
First, lets look at that cover. LOVE, right?! It's so great!

HERO is a Four Letter Word is a collection of three short stories.
In the first story--which is the weakest of the three--King Arthur is reborn. 
I can't say much without spoiling it, but this one was a bit too weird, even for me. It was amusing, yes...but just a bit too odd and out-there. 

The second story was right up my alley, and very familiar.
You ST:TNG fans will remember the episode where Dr. Crusher's Grandmother dies, right?
This story was so similar to that episode...but it had fae! I love me some fae. ;)

The third story was definitely my favourite.
Being a former City of Heroes player--a superhero MMO that shut down just about a year ago now (and that I will miss until the day I die), this one hit close to home.
It's about a former supervillain, who is doing his best to try to live a normal life,  who unknowingly meets his stalker and saves her life.

HERO is a short book that makes a great afternoon read. I definitely recommend it to you grownups who enjoy genre or romance.