Review: Forget-Her-Nots - Amy Brecount White

Now! she thought.  Her right hand seemed to lift on it's own and reach toward the bouquet.  "Bright cut flowers," she whispered, "Leaves of green, bring about what I have seen."  When the last word left her tongue, her whole body tingled and hummed, as if a note was reverberating deeply inside her.

Something - some power - is blooming inside Laurel.  She can use flowers to do things.  Like bringing back lost memories.  Or helping her friends ace tests.  Or making people fall in love.

Laurel suspects her new found ability has something to do with an ancient family secret, one that her mother meant to share with Laurel when the time was right.  But then time ran out.

Clues and signs and secret messages seem to be all around Laurel at Avondale School, where her mother had also boarded as a student.  Can Laurel piece everything together quickly enough to control her power, which is growing more potent every day?  Or will she set the stage for the most lovestruck, infamous prom in the history of the school?

Visit Amy Brecount White's website for more information

Review:
Laurel is trying to cope with the grief caused by her mother's death, she doesn't have a brilliant relationship with her father and hopes to feel closer to her mother by attending the boarding school her mother graduated from.  Things start to change for Laurel when she gives a talk in her English class about the language of flowers.  As she is explaining to the class how Victorian lovers would communicate to each other by sending messages in bunches of flowers (called tussie-mussies) she creates a posy to encourage love and gives it to one of her teachers.  As her teacher finds love Lauren's reputation as the flower girl spreads around the school and she suddenly has more and more requests for help from other students.

Forget-Her-Nots is a light hearted read and I really enjoyed learning about the language of flowers.  This wasn't something I knew anything about before starting this book but I found the history of the language fascinating - it made me look at flowers in a whole new light.  Amy Brecount White incorporated magic into the story in an unusual way which made the story interesting to read.  I enjoyed the fact that Laurel was having to learn about her powers as she went along, to start with she had nobody to teach her or show her how things worked.

Laurel was a likable character but she wasn't someone that I found myself able to relate to or caring for a great deal.  None of the other characters are ones that will stick with me and I had trouble keeping track of who was who as I was reading.  Although I liked the idea behind the magic of the flowers I found the plot was a little slow moving without much happening - particularly at the beginning of the book.  Forget-Her-Nots was enjoyable for the differences to anything else I've read but although I liked it it wasn't a book that wowed me.

Source: Received as part of a book tour arranged by International Book Tours, this book has already been sent on to it's next destination.

Other reviews of this book:
Shut Up I'm Reading
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Review: Chasing Brooklyn - Lisa Schroeder

Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can't sleep.  Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose.  Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her.  She has no idea what he wants, or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop.  He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca.  But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn.  But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted.  Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Visit Lisa Schroeder's website for more information

Review:
Brooklyn's boyfriend Lucca died a year ago but she can't let go of his memory and isn't coping well, then her friend Gabe also dies and she finds things even harder.  When Gabe's ghost starts haunting her she has nobody to turn to and can't understand why this is happening to her.  Ever since Nico lost his brother Lucca he has been running, hoping to escape his memories and the pain.  But now Lucca's ghost is leaving him messages asking him to help Brooklyn.  What does he mean and how can Nico help Brooklyn when he isn't coping with his own grief?

Chasing Brooklyn is the first verse novel I've ever read, to be honest I wasn't sure if I'd like that style of story but I was curious enough to want to give it a try.  When I first started reading I didn't think it was going to be for me as it felt so different to reading a normal book but within about 15-20 pages I'd got into the rhythm and the story got it's claws into me.  I then found I couldn't put it down, I kept thinking just a few more pages and I'll stop reading but the next thing I knew I found myself at the end of the book.  It really was a quick read but that doesn't make it any less special.

If you've ever lost someone that you love, be it a family member or a friend, then I'm sure you'll find it easy to relate to both Brooklyn and Nico.  They are both struggling to cope with the empty space Lucca has left in their lives.  Neither of them really feel they have anyone they can turn to so the connection between them builds really quickly when they start talking.  Although both of them deal with things in different ways it was easy to see their pain and I really felt it alongside them.

Chasing Brooklyn is a powerful story about love, loss and grief but it also has a very positive theme about moving on with life.  People often say "things will get better in time" and that never seems believable when you're in a difficult situation or have lost someone you love but this novel helps to show that it really is true.  It may not be easy to see a way forward but you just have to take one step at a time and when you least expect it you'll suddenly find the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have to say that I don't think verse novels are going to be for everyone but if you've never tried reading one before Chasing Brooklyn would be a good one to start with.  Lisa Schroeder has a style of writing that sucks you in and I found the story more powerful in verse than it probably would have been as a standard novel.  This may be the first book I've read by this author but it definitely won't be the last and I'd really recommend that everyone give it a try. 

Source: Received as part of a book tour arranged by International Book Tours, this book has already been sent on to it's next destination.

Other reviews of this book:
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Review: Restoring Harmony - Joelle Anthony

Heading off on her own to a big American city might have been a fun adventure for sixteen-year-old Molly McClure in the good old days before the Collapse, when nearly all the oil ran out; but in 2041, when family calamities strike all at once and Molly must leave her isolated farming island in Canada for the very first time, the world she meets is anything but fun.  Food is in short supply, crime is rampant, and once-bustling cities stand abandoned and crumbling - danger lurking around every corner.

No one is as they seem, and Molly has to make some fast, tough choices about whom to trust, especially when a dangerous crime organisation sets her in their sights.  Luckily, Molly is a determined, can-do kind of girl, and with the help of a handsome stranger, she may just make it home alive.

Visit Joelle Anthony's website for more information

Review:
After the Collapse in 2031 the world is a very different place, one with food shortages and high crime rates.  16 year old Molly has been brought up on an isolated farming island in Canada but when her family hear world that her grandmother is very ill she must venture into the world to find out what has happened & to bring her grandparents back to the island with her.  Travel is made difficult by the lack of oil and poor public transport but Molly is the only one who can make the dangerous trip to help her grandparents.  When she arrives she finds them in a desperate situation with no money for food let alone enough to pay for their trip back to Canada.  It is up to Molly to help them survive and find a way to get them all home.

Joelle Anthony has created a very realistic word in Restoring Harmony - it is so easy to picture the Collapse actually happening, possibly even in our lifetime which is quite a scary though.  The Collapse was brought on by oil shortages and had a massive effect on the economy.  Living in a country that imports a lot of food it is very easy to picture how hard life would be if travel made importing food practically impossible.  You can easily picture yourself living in Molly's world and it isn't something I would particularly look forward to.

I really liked Molly but I did find it hard to believe that someone so young and with such an isolated upbringing would cope as well as she did on the journey to find her grandparents.  I can't picture myself doing as well as she did in her situation, especially if I was as naive as she is.  Although Molly faces problems on her journey I found that the solution always seemed to come about a little too easily - I'd have liked things to be just a bit harder for her to make for a more realistic read.  Having said that I still found myself really enjoying the story.

I loved Molly's grandparents - particularly her grandfather - and the handsome young man she met (Spill) was fab.  He was that great combination of someone who always seemed to be helping her but who you could tell had his secrets & you could never be quite sure if he was trustworthy or not.  The relationships between Molly and her family were well developed & I wanted to see them make it back to Canada safely. 

Overall this was an enjoyable story that I would recommend to fans of young adult dystopian stories.  The book includes some action and a little romance but the emphasis is on the importance of family and community which I think gives an important message.  I thought this was a great debut and I'm looking forward to seeing what Joelle Anthony comes up with next.

Source: Received as part of a book tour arranged by International Book Tours, this book has already been sent on to it's next destination.

Other reviews of this book:
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Review: Impossible - Nancy Werlin

A family curse, an impossible task... only true love can save her.

Lucy is seventeen when she discovers that for generations, the women of her family have been cursed. Now it's her turn. Lucy must attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or fall into insanity. But Lucy is allowed to try and escape. She has to try.

Because Lucy believes in love and choosing the life she wants.  Unlike her ancestors, Lucy has her childhood friend Zach and her family by her side and she will fight this curse. Is Zach's love and Lucy's strength of hope powerful enough to save her?

Visit Nancy Werlin's website for more information

Review:
Lucy's mother Miranda gave birth at just 18 and left Lucy with her foster parents after going crazy. Miranda now lives on the streets and whenever Lucy sees her she is singing an unusual version of an old folk song called Scarborough Fair. At first Lucy believes this is just part of the madness that her mother suffers from but after finding Miranda's diary she begins to wonder if there is more to it than that. Especially when she finds herself pregnant at just 17 after a disastrous prom date. Unsure if her family really is cursed or if she has just inherited Miranda's insanity Lucy is going to need the support of her family and friends if she is going to find out the truth. The song tells of three impossible tasks that must be completed before her baby is born or she'll end up just like her mother, surely it's worth trying to solve the puzzles just in case.

I really enjoyed Impossible, it is a sweet love story and I really liked the fact that Lucy had such supportive foster parents. The relationship between them made a refreshing change from a lot of books I've read where the heroine / hero can't turn to their parents for help. I really loved Lucy's childhood friend Zach, he was so caring and was willing to step up to the plate to protect Lucy and help her in any way possible. I did feel their relationship was a little rushed but the story wouldn't have worked so well any other way so it wasn't a major issue for me.

I found it intriguing that the idea for this book came from a song and I still really want to get hold of a copy, it would have made perfect background music for reading the book and I'd still like to know the tune. The idea of the curse and the impossible tasks was different from anything else I've read and gave the story a fairy tale feel that I really liked.  Overall the focus was more on the love story - which I did enjoy - but it would have been nice to see more of the supernatural and of the very creepy villain. I would recommend this book to romance fans, especially if you enjoy a good fairy tale. It wasn't a perfect book for me but the niggles I had were minor ones that didn't stop me enjoying the story.

Source: Received as part of a book tour arranged by International Book Tours, this book has already been sent on to it's next destination.

Other reviews of this book:
Asamum Booktopia
We Adore A Happy Ending
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: Sing Me To Sleep - Angela Morrison

Beth has always been "The Beast" - that's what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses.  Who could love a beast?  Beth's only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott.  That is, until she's selected to be her choir's soprano soloist, and receives the makeover of a lifetime.  Suddenly, everyone wants a piece of Beth.

Things only get better when her choir travels to Switzerland and Beth meets the mysterious Derek.  They have an incredible whirlwind affair that makes Beth realise, for the first time, she too can find love.  She's no longer The Beast.  In Derek's eyes, she's a beauty.  But then Scott makes a heartbreaking confession to Beth that leaves her completely torn.  Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, passionate feelings she has for Derek?

And there's an even bigger problem:  Derek's got a secret ... one that could shatter everything.

Visit Angela Morrison's website for more information

Review:
Beth has been bullied at school for as long as she can remember, with her poor skin, thick glasses and unusual height she is known as The Beast and teased mercilessly by the bullies.  Her only friend is the geeky Scott who has stood by her through it all.  Everything starts to change when she lands herself the role of soloist in her choir by amazing everyone with her beautiful voice.  Choir members who wouldn't give her the time of day before suddenly decide to give her a makeover in preparation for their trip to Switzerland to take part in the Choral Olympics. 

Suddenly Beth finds that people are taking notice of her and the only person who doesn't seem keen on the changes is Scott.  When Derek contacts her via the choir's website she can't believe he'd actually be interested in her when he sees her but when they finally meet in Switzerland she's shocked to find that he is.  Their whirlwind romance continues when they get home but it soon becomes clear that Derek has a secret.  Disappearing for long periods of time with no contact and acting strangely when she suggests she meet his parents their relationship isn't the easiest romance ever.  With Scott confessing his love for her Beth is torn between the two boys in her life - her best friend or the secretive Derek.

Sing Me To Sleep is a beautiful and well told story and my heart went out to Beth.  I'm sure most of us have experienced some kind of bullying in our lives and if you have I'm sure you'll find it very easy to relate to Beth's feelings.  She truly has suffered and her confidence and self-belief are at an all time low, the only thing she loves is singing and that really shows in her character.  I loved Scott straight away - he was the only person who saw through the surface to the real Beth and loved her just as she was.  He tried so hard to make her believe in herself but it wasn't surprising that she couldn't believe him.  I really found myself wishing Beth would see what was right in front of her but I could see the appeal Derek had too.

Derek came across as really sweet at first and he obviously had strong feelings for Beth.  When they returned home and he started behaving strangely I started to get quite frustrated with him.  I'd already guessed at his secret (I wasn't completely correct but close enough) and was desperate for him to just tell her rather than messing her around.  I found it frustrating that he was being so secretive but that Beth was still prepared to do anything just to be with him.  It felt at times like she put up with far too much from him when she should have moved on with her life but I think considering her low self esteem her reactions were probably quite realistic.  I also found her jealousy irritating but understandable in the circumstances.  By the time you get to the end of the book you get to know Derek a lot better and although I still don't agree with the way he handled things I can certainly understand why he did what he did.  My heart completely broke for him when I found out for sure what he had been hiding.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Sing Me To Sleep it was a beautiful story of young love and the transition from teenager to adult.  It's about learning to have confidence in yourself no matter what other people think or say and it's about finding your place in the world.  I'd recommend this book to anyone who has ever been bullied or felt down about themselves.  I have to warn you though - you'll need tissues when you read it.  I can't remember the last time I cried as much as I did while reading this book!  It is both heartbreaking and uplifting and is a book I'd say shouldn't be missed.

Source: Received as part of a book tour arranged by International Book Tours, this book has already been sent on to it's next destination.

Other reviews of this book:
Inside of a Dog
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: Guardian of the Dead - Karen Healey

In less than a day, I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed.  I'd been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable.  And up until now, I'd been mildly impressed with my ability to cope.

At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: She hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious bad boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline.  Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is lurking.

Visit Karen Healey's website for more information

Review:
Ellie has recently started at boarding school while her parents travel the world for a year.  She is struggling to fit in but at least she has her best friend Kevin to hang out with.  Everything starts to change when she literally bumps into the mysterious Mark who she has had a crush on for ages.  She has blank spaces in her memory but when she tries to remember what happened she suffers from horrible headaches.  But what does all of this have to do with Mark and does it have anything to do with the horrifying murders that are being committed?

Before I read Guardian of the Dead I knew absolutely nothing about Maori mythology but Karen Healey has done an amazing job of bringing legends to life in a way that makes it really interesting to read.  She has created a great heroine in Ellie - someone who may not be the prettiest or skinniest girl but who doesn't allow her insecurities to take over her personality.  She is strong & determined and able to defend herself but always uses physical force as a last result.  Mark is the perfect hero for a YA story - cute, mysterious and a bit of a bad boy, what more could a girl want? 

I found the story action packed and completely different from anything I've read before.  There were some great secondary characters in Kevin (Ellie's best friend) and Iris who was a lot more important to the story line than I expected her to be but was another great female role model.  The ending was unexpected and although the story did have a proper ending I can easily imagine this being turned into a series - if it does it will definitely be going on my buy list.  A great debut from Karen Healey and I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

I also really liked her best friend Kevin and

Source: Received as part of a book tour arranged by International Book Tours, this book has already been sent on to it's next destination.

Other reviews of this book:

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Review: Rising Shadow - Jacquelyn Wheeler

So this is my life.

I've developed special powers, which I don't get to keep, to battle the ultimate source of evil, which can never be destroyed.  And the man of my dreams just moved two thousand miles away.

Not exactly what I'd had in mind for my junior year.

Ashlyn Woods has just transferred to one of the most beautiful campuses on the west coast, where she can't wait to start her life over as a normal college student.  But her plans take an unexpected turn when she discovers that she is a Soterian: a person who develops amazing powers when the balance of good and evil shifts too far in evil's favor.

Soon she and the other Soterians are studying martial arts and learning to use their powers to prevent California from being plunged into chaos.  But they quickly discover that they're up against a much more dangerous enemy than they anticipated.

And when Ashlyn meets Kai, a devastatingly gorgeous guitar player, she realises she must sacrifice more than she ever imagined.

The Soterians Series:
Rising Shadow
Merger (coming soon)
There will be 5 books in the series

Visit The Soterians website for more information

Review:
This was a fantastic start to a new series by Jacquelyn Wheeler.  Ashlyn is a normal teenager, she has obviously had difficult relationships in her past but is determined to put that behind her & make a new start at college.  She has the same insecurities that I'm sure most of us have experienced at some time in our lives and that makes her very easy to relate to.  Life at college starts off as you'd expect and Ashlyn soon starts to make friends and settle in.  I particularly like her roommate Rebecca who quickly became one of my favorite characters.

It isn't long before Ashlyn & Rebecca both notice that strange things are happening to them but this is soon explained when they find out they are Soterians.  Having been called as Soterians they are developing strange powers that they are going to need in order to restore the balance between good and evil.  I was expecting this to be a typical good versus evil story - one where the good guys always win - but I really loved the twist that Jacquelyn has put on the series.  Evil can never be completely overcome, it can only be balanced out by good.  Jacquelyn describes this using the yin and yang symbol - good can be on top but there will always be evil in the world.  The Soterians are called on when the balance has been tipped the wrong way and evil is on top.  Their task is to restore the balance but as soon as they have done this they will lose their powers.

I found this a really interesting concept - what must it be like to suddenly develop these amazing super powers and then lose them when the threat of evil is under control?  It must also be difficult to be called upon to battle evil when you know that you'll never be able to win.

When Ashlyn meets Kai they have an instant connection and fall in love almost immediately.  This is something I would usually question but I thought it was very well written & believable.  Their connection is obviously about more than lust and the two of them spend hours talking and getting to know each other.  Although they have strong feelings they don't rush into things which makes a refreshing change.  The book has a great cast of characters & although you get to know most of the Soterians quite well I'm looking forward to finding out more in future books.

Overall I thought this was an excellent first book - there was plenty of action and a few great twists that I didn't see coming.  I'm really looking forward to reading future books in the series.

Source: Recieved from Jacquelyn Wheeler as part of a book tour arranged by International Book Tours, this will be sent on to it's next destination tomorrow.

Other reviews of this book:
Book Crazy
YA Addict
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

International Book Tours

Great news for bloggers like me who are outside the US & Canada.  Reggie from The Undercover Book Lover and her sister The Bookologist have launched a new blog International Book Tours.
I've seen a lot of posts about book tours since I started my blog but this is the first site I've seen that is open to international bloggers.  If you sign up for one of the tours you agree to send the book on to another international blogger when you have read it.  Obviously postage may be expensive but this is a great opportunity to get to review ARCs that you wouldn't normally get a chance to read.

There is loads of information about how it all works on the International Book Tours blog.  Don't forget you need to Sign Up before you can join a tour.

There are already 3 tours you can sign up for:

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

If you're an international blogger like me have a look & see if you want to sign up.  I've registered & am really looking forward to taking part in this!