Book Promo [#16]: Gethyon (a Sci-Fi snack!)

I have yet another book for you to feast your eyes upon... OK, it's not the whole book but what kind of book blogger would I be if I didn't let you soak in that cover? I'm a tease, OK? But you might like to read this book by the twitter-wandering Pippa Jay, like all authors- she wants us to read her book. But why should you? Let me tell you about it & you can decide for yourself. I don't like to dictate ;)

Thanks Pippa for allowing us this post today! Without any other yabbering...

BURST

 RELEASED 3rd June 2013!
Series: ý 
Gethyon is a young adult sci-fi, with a hint of romance and a male protagonist, you will be drawn to its pages... 

  

HIS father died. His mother abandoned him. In the depths of space, darkness seeks him. Abandoned by his mother after his father’s death, Gethyon Rees feels at odds with his world and longs to travel the stars. But discovering he has the power to do so leaves him scarred for life. Worse, it alerts the Siah-dhu—a dark entity that seeks his kind for their special abilities—to his existence, and sets a bounty hunter on his trail. When those same alien powers lead Gethyon to commit a terrible act, they also aid his escape. Marooned on the sea-world of Ulto Marinos, Gethyon and his twin sister must work off their debt to the Seagrafter captain who rescued them while Gethyon puzzles over their transportation. How has he done this? And what more is he capable of? Before he can learn any answers, the Wardens arrive to arrest him for his crime. Can his powers save him now? And where will he end up next?  ~Geython, published by BURST Buy elsewhere: Amazon UK | Omnilit | B&N

About The Author: Pippa Jay
 S pippajay.co.uk website ¦ Facebook  ¦ Twitter ¦ Goodreads ¦ Blog ¦ Amazon  S

Adventures in Scifi...

A stay-at-home mum of three who spent twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay bases her stories on a lifetime addiction to science-fiction books and films. Somewhere along the line a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moments trying to learn guitar, indulging in freestyle street dance and drinking high-caffeine coffee. Although happily settled in historical Colchester in the UK with her husband of 20 years, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

Writing science fiction with a romantic soul...


So, someone needs to read it? Will it be YOU? What are you waiting for? It may never happen... Don't wait. Just read.
It may not be in your name, but it's in mine.
Amy Bookworm

Reviewing... [57] Anthem for Jackson Dawes

I just gotta write this somewhat 'bleh' (that's bleh, not blah, but... yeah) review cos I don't like having reviews hanging over my head but also, ones which aren't the most positive? They suck even more to hang on to. I feel so bad for only liking this with a little chunk of my heart when it's been written with such... seriousness. It should have been an emotional overload of a book...

Reviewing... [57] Source: Bought as kindle edition :) Publisher: Bloomsbury (in most cases) Author: Celia Bryce  Genre Recommendations: Not really sure, I partly liked this but... it's not one I found really worth reading.

But it wasn't. It's about cancer, guys. Touching stuff & I do feel sorry for Megan, I really do... With cancer & put on a baby's ward? But I feel like it wore off. There was only so much relating you could do to someone who just seemed... Cold. I don't think it's as she's a horrible character, maybe its the characterisation? We're supposed to like this girl, feel sorry for her. She was flat and didn't have the emotions I'd picture about half the time. Maybe some people would find it accurate but I couldn't process how she came across. We didn't really get an explanation why she was like that. It's annoying enough in real life but here? Why not? Cancer's not a reason. People react differently. Is this a generalisation? I just felt like the thoughts weren't justified- totally unfair. It made me empathize with others more than her.

The book shouldn't have been about that. It was about falling in love too, about friendships... So many things I think which could've been developed more. I don't just want to complain.

The issues I shall come back to but I liked that:

Other cancer patients were explored & not all for romantic reasons. I felt as if Kipper's personality was explained better (even though it was mainly from Megan's perspective so she could have been affecting it, but we expect to get her spin on things & it was one of the best bits for getting into Megan's head & not feeling like a stranger. I remember the playdough scene so well ;) Definitely one of the bits I believe I liked.

Jackson was for romantic reasons but he'd be a great friend too, someone who just brightens the ward for all in it; he was a great influence. It showed Bryce can great brilliant characters. Just, the only ones which I like aren't like Megan, but have cancer in common. I see the attraction between them both... it's convenience mainly though, at first. Both the only teens, both don't want to be stuck in such a boring ward... It really makes you think about the work- outside of books- to support those with cancer. The Teenage Cancer Trust often build wards just for teens. It's not just cancer though, which affects teens.

I'm not bored of the cancer stories though, yet. One factor in reading this which must have had an impact, it simply must, is hearing things along the lines of "UKYA TFIOS"... Why does anyone make this claim?

In hindsight, I've now checked the Goodreads rating. Average is around 3 & a half stars. No, it's not comparable. I haven't even read TFIOS but no- don't compare them.

I hope some people actually look at that rating and think- what do you want from this book? Do you want a mix of experiences and emotions? Do you want the book to take you on a journey which ends with happy and sad? It has them. But do you expect to cry? I didn't; you might. It clearly doesn't have the same odds as an aforementioned book I'm gonna shut up about (I don't know if I'll read it, what if once again I'm possibly missing something?)... I just wish I could eradicate that total influence. This book wasn't all it was cracked up to be. There are flaws that I'd still notice, anyway. One little bug I had was, while the author's writing style was mostly fantastic, the grammar wasn't English as I know it. Mum reckons it's Irish but I don't even know if it should be for that author. It's not an offence to anybody who uses 'Will I?' etc. instead of 'Should I?' when asking if you would like them to do something. That's the example that stands out and did disrupt my reading a bit. It shouldn't have confused me as much as it did, right? Well, tough luck. It did, sucks and all.
Mostly, Bryce wrote a good book. This isn't condemning, many enjoyed it more than I. It had good bits, I've said. I was expecting a dashing book to blow my mind. It didn't even separate one neuron of my brain from another... It was just readable, a bit enjoyable, rather interesting and had sad points too. Some may call it a rollercoaster, I'd prefer to just call it a journey and as it's my review...
I'm confused. I know I liked it somewhat...

End of the day... leave it at:

Amy Bookworm (@Amy_Bookworm) rated this book:

Book haul (#8)

This is the indie edition as I think most of what I've downloaded recently has been indie... Having said that I've never actual participated in...

This meme is run by Tynga's Reviews.
This week I have stacked my shelves (quite literally).

Oh look! What's that? I'm getting a haul..
Mum took this as I was opening some- I was just looking at Curious Fox's goodies :)

But before I get into the parcels, these are from book swaps/gifts given at OUP by the bloggers there! Thanks Julianne for The Butterfly Tattoo, Kerrie for The Ghost & the Goth, Orli for Ketchup Clouds & Fiona for the Numbers Trilogy. I haven't read the top three so am looking forward to those :) ((I've linked to their blogs, not Twitters :P))

We also got books from OUP themselves at the event- you can see the beauties above! I got Who Framed Klaris Cliff signed, as well as my proof copy of Storm & Stone. I loved the event for many reasons (the books helped- especially for ice-breaking).

I got these books from a library sale at school. I'm not a huge fan (mainly of the noise levels in there) but these cost me 20p altogether and it was a chance I couldn't miss so I don't regret buying them! I bought more books but we'll get to that...

(Sorry it's a weird photo BTW- its just I don't want to show the library stickers & bits.)

Well, there's this new Sarra Manning which I won- thanks to Goodreads' First Reads Giveaway Program. Atom provided the book for the giveaway so thanks for that... It was a fantastic opportunity to receive it :)

Returning to the opening of the review books... TA-DA! Look, it;s the CF catalogue as well. I'm really looking forward to reading their May release Alex As Well. I also have shown you the sampler for The Ruby Airship (second book, Diamond Thief review here) as I'm looking forward to that in April, I believe :) They always have good books & send me such treasures...

Also can't wait to dig into Rachel Riley's The Time Of My Life which I received from OUP actually for review & as I'm part of (a bit of a spoiler) the blog tour soon! :P

But, now...

Last, but not least, the books I bought from The Works. Not quite for 10p each XD But still, quite good bargains! More good reads, YAY! (no pun intended). I hope you liked this haul... What do you think? It has been a month but it's still quite good. I'm not complaining...

Monologue Time: 2-in-1 Discussion (Professionalism & Commenting)

Hey, guys. Today I have a rant. Or, if you want to use the title terminology, a discussion post (I mention some discussions which I've had about these topics, not just give my own spin on things). You get to see who I'm responding to. But why?
You'll find out. Thank you for reading in advance :)

One of the only not-particularly-accurate GIFs I'll use EVER.
But I am happy to see you :D

Sometimes, as book bloggers who tweet, some of us here (the one writing this & maybe you, reader) have the imponderable joy of seeing posts mentioned in our feeds & then we talk about them... via Twitter. VERY good, that is. It also does mean though, we don’t necessarily get to say much about it. Tweets are short. You realize that, already. So, how much can you actually say? Not as much as in a post on your own. So that’s why I’m here, about a month later, addressing Fi’s wonderful post on professionalism, first & foremost. So, Kelsey (I believe?) @ Verbosity Reviews & Fi (the blogger in question) @ Books For Birds had that little chat. I think both of us found it rather thought provoking, enough to tweet about it...

TA-DA:

•   Amy Bookworm ‏ : @CrazyCrunchies If you want to look at posts that will make you feel better cos they're not professional, check mine. I like GIFs too much.
•  Professional reviews can often seem snobbier, by which I mean it's not as obvious what their opinion is & if they really <3 a book they're not getting that across as well as a ranty review, just saying.
•  Amy Bookworm ‏: @VerbosityRevws @CrazyCrunchies and she thought it was a rant. I've seen proper, caps-abusin' rants. Less ramble there, Fi.
•  VerbosityBookReviews ‏: @Amy_Bookworm @CrazyCrunchies Oh, not at all! I thought it was well written. I worry I veer towards too professional sometimes, though. That's just the way I talk, though. I've had people way older than me say I talk more maturely than they do...
• Amy Bookworm ‏ : @VerbosityRevws  I can be either… It's hard to explain. I do what comes naturally in that situation as it tells you my feelings & more… sense. If you think it didn't make sense but try & make it so different it actually loses meaning for you.
•   VerbosityBookReviews ‏: @Amy_Bookworm Yeah, I get that. Like, I feel like most of my posts are too professional, and then I have ones like ASDFGHJ *gif here.*
•   VerbosityBookReviews ‏: @CrazyCrunchies @Amy_Bookworm If it was ranty, I don't think it was a bad ranty. I thought it was really thought provoking, really.

I’ll get back to this discussion but one thing I need to mention first is about commenting & tweeting. I’ll give you this link to Lucy’s post which is another thought-provoking one, I tweeted about & commented on. You can find that for yourself as it’s more recent, if you’re interested. It made me want to thank the people who support me on twitter but more than that... On Twitter I thank a lot & I do a lot. It’s just so normal I’m not going to go there in this blog post. I said a fair bit in my comment at Lucy’s blog but what I will say is:
THANK YOU PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMENTED THIS YEAR. I’m doing this year cos otherwise it’s forever (or not, but... it’s what I said in Lucy’s so...). This year is a good sample, of nearly two months. If you haven’t commented this year, you may have commented another time & that’s fabulous. I’m still grateful but if you DO comment now or sometime soon then I know you’ve listened XD I’ll also be very happy & it’s good to see me happy, right?

So here goes — Comments so far this year:

(also only on posts published this year)

1. Zoe Crook (Bookhi) with 4 comments (thank you Zoe so much! You are an awesome blogger & I *thought* you were the one who commented most recently. I hope I’ve repaid at least some comments but that’s not what it’s all about. You’re a fantastic blogger & the fact you grace me with your time amazes me!)
2. WITH 2 COMMENTS EACH:  Georgia Walters (The Bibliomaniac)—who is awesome & I totally didn’t meant to drop a hint... I also think you give me more than I deserve but it brightens my day! You were who I mentioned Zoe to XD Our conversations are awesome, Twitter or blogger. Rita (Weaving Pages)—Technically they were on the same post though :P She stopped by in January so... eh... She knows there’s not much more I can say. What can I say? If you can think of something besides a BIG thankyou <3 & Katarina (the Kat) Alvarez— We didn’t really know each other but you’ve stopped by a few times so we’re getting there. The fact we aren't really familiar with each other made (and still does, even though I now recognize your name!) it even better & nicer than you’d stop by, leave a comment sometimes & brighten my day in those instances!
3. Danielle, Alecia Stone, Roberta R.,  bookgeeking, anaherareads, Karen, McGuffy Ann with 1 comment each also. Thanks all of you guys also! When I say “thanks” or whatever when you drop by, I really mean it. I’m SO grateful & if we haven’t talked a lot yet (I know it applies to a few) I’m sorry but here’s my gratitude *hands out massive cookies*

Right, now... Returning to the main topic here (now here comes the monologue), Fi's discussion.
I have more thoughts on this which I haven’t shared & need to be shared as, unlike with Lucy’s, I’m starting to think I have a different stance. Quite a difference stance. So, bearing in mind, my opinions are probably individual to me, maybe you’ll listen up... anyway.
There’s some things that strike me about the Professionalism post & the responses I recorded way up there ^^.
I’ve accepted the view that GIFs are less professional. Or have I? Is it just- they’re more modern? People say pictures are worth a thousand words so for a long time, they’ve been included. IN PUBLISHED WORKS. Newspapers. Books (think mainly kids, but NOT LIMITED to). Think about it: GIFs can’t be in newspapers or on paper. So, yes, they’re an online media but are they limited to Tumblr or can they be on blogs on other platforms more seriously or even on Tumblr, professionally?
I’m not a professional but just because I use GIFs doesn’t mean I should be taken less seriously. They aid my opinions. I use them when they add something. Sure, it lightens the mood. I do blogging for fun but I don’t want you to think my reviews aren’t deep or that they aren’t as good or professional as blogs with reviews just with words. They may come across more professional at first glance but are they better for it? Surely, we all get set out to review because we loved books & wanted to get our opinions across. I give credit it where its due: GIFs HELP THAT. Most of the time. For me, I use them when they help. Do they help you to pick up on my opinions. Actually seeing that reaction as it plays out, it’s priceless, right? Who’s with me? GIFs can be used in two ways (maybe more- I can think of these two & know which applies to me), in summary:
• Casually, just because it’s Tumblr or a tweet & it’s a good GIF.
• Ideally, where they are there because they’re accurate. They’re worth more than words & quickly get across your point.

GIFs are not used (at least here):
• Just for fangirling purposes. I have GIFs besides. Sure, it may help. But do I need a GIF to express fangirling? I can get beyond fangirling. Normally, I have thoughts besides those fangirly bits of reviews. I probably found bits bad, or unrealistic. Or really realistic. I don’t just find X (ie. Peeta) hot. That’d be sooo shallow.
• As I’m too lazy to type. My reviews still are quite long. Normally, about 400* words? Maybe more. As review lengths go, it’s not because I’m lazy. I’m gonna spew all my thoughts & when they’re done: CUT. That’s when. I’m not censoring bits (I’ve tried, eww) or thinking X, Y or Z is unimportant. To someone, it may be. Maybe my GIFs actually help to split the chunks up & make them look less daunting. That would be more accurate.
• As I’m a teenager. I think people associate it, like Tumblr, with teens & think we can’t stop ourselves so it’s irrelevant. We choose, like all people, what we want. It’s NOT irrelevant. As I said, in my example about books, maybe they’re more common for younger people but I know adults can like pictures too (maybe even GIFs).

Having said that, as a teen... Maybe I am less professional. But... society is changing. People still accept us. They have to. Teens read so much YA & are a good proportion of the book blogging community. I like to think we’re treated like equals a fair bit. I haven’t seen publishers ignoring bloggers as they’re teens or due to review content like GIFs.
Well, am I overthinking it? I’m definitely ranting & teaching Fi how it’s done. Public service ;)

I don’t really change my reviews that much. I mean, I sometimes think they’re [insert an unflattering word, possibly expletive, here]. But mainly when I compare to others really. My reviews are different. I know others use GIFs but I don’t actually see that many? Some part of me understands but I don’t want to change. I don’t always use GIFs. Not all reviews warrant that. Sometimes I can actually picture my reactions enough to find a GIF like that, anyway. Sometimes I think the length is too rambly- can I be succinct? Haven’t figured out so can’t change that without actually taking out key parts of my opinions. Reviews must be honest &... I can’t make them professional. I don’t think I can. My opinions aren’t reflected accurately if I put in restrictions or edit beyond spelling, grammar (which I think is debatable to some extent- I talk how I write & vice versa, most of the time I probably TALK with good grammar but maybe the red herring slips through?) & the important bits like that.

Maybe people find it an issue that I am writing like its a discussion (or a monologue, in many cases) but... I don’t even have an answer to that & I’ve been typing too long *nurses fingers* Yes, this is a rant so no, I'm caring less than I do in reviews about things like punctuation, clarity, structuring (I agree that's good for reviews, some structure). This post has been thought over, I hope it's clear. I do need to teach Fi how to rant though XD And any of you who aren't used to it. Jokes aside, this does have a point. One BIG PUNCH.

More like this. Yes, an accurate GIF. You get a GIF at the end too, so nice of me ;)

Wrapping up (cos there was a point to this post, you know): WRITE YOUR REVIEWS HOW YOU WANT TO. Reviews are already individual but I think its not just the words that matter, it’s how you say them, your opinions and (I honestly believe most of all) being true to yourself. Please don’t try & change any of your posts for others. Don’t try & be who you’re not. We do want to please our readers but they don’t dictate to us what we do. They’ll get past whatever they first didn’t particularly like if they matter & if they’re a true friend. I will not conform with just trying to write posts to get views, review copies, followers etc.

Do you agree? Will you dare to be different? What’s the cost for us?

Let Amy Bookworm & all others who are reading this (and hopefully commenters *I hope* will come) know your opinions! x (* this is about a thousand. Too late. You've read it all).

Reviewing... [56] The Moon and More

Reviewing... [56] Source: Library (cos we all love libraries but whatever). Publisher: Penguin Group Inc.  Author: Sarah Dessen Reviewed by: Amy Bookworm (as almost always). Recommended for: People, who like me, like to read summery books which are YA- but this one does border a bit on NA... Not too much ;) It was nominated for Goodreads Award this year so that's all cool; I thought I may as well read it, since it looks absolutely amazing (even if it's Winter... it'll cheer us up from the miserable weather!) :D

One of the key things which makes this YA is the parent input & involvement. It stops this book going off in other directions in my opinion. Not only do parents sometimes keep YA books grounded but they keep the character grounded and, for Emaline, they keep the characters grounded as well. I love that her father, who is normally absent, is less absent (a stark contrast to parents who are normally not but for the sake of the book are out of town, die etc.) Dessen has to try & create a balance between mentioning, developing and including the family at the right points and then also holding down the romance threads.

You can see why I say it's a bit NA. If this was based the next year it'd be less interesting (for me) and closer to NA. This is just before she gets on her own two feet, almost exactly alone. She's dealing with the bit before college, after graduation. She's dealing with Luke and then, in turn, Theo. There's a lot of ingredients and a lot of different techniques that needed to be applied to them. Let's twist this, churn that, dice that...

It seemed relevant...

Oh, my gosh, I don't recall ever being so aware of an author's crafting skills. Why is Sarah Dessen such a great author? HOW, I mean? It's like there is some burning bread & I need to read quickly to save it. Something like that.

In a way, this book has foreshadowing. It has a nice, not wrecking (ball) feel. Like, as its an early example, at the end of Chapter 3 you learn a character is not from around here. Coupled with our previous knowledge, that she thinks she's going to be stuck in Colby etc., we can kind of guess that's significant. This book gives you hints, reveals a bit of the picture and it's epic. There isn't really such a thing, in this book, as a "filler" chapter. You gain something from it to further the story.

I feel like it's partly a good thing Dessen did the culling thing (metaphorically, nobody died... this isn't dystopia remember?). There is a love triangle but something unprecedented happens...  As one thing unravels, another ravels. I felt like Dessen was too quick to try & force opinions on us about the boys involved. She quickly made Luke seem like something horrible, she gave Emaline some of the blame and then you see what happens with her Theo... There are good points about the love triangle and I get why it was there (partly). I was for some reason hooked by this book but I can't credit it to the love triangle, at all. It could've worked so much better... it didn't just have to not be there but... it's a load of confusion. It's Emaline's summer romance and it's hooking as she goes through the holiday, discovers herself & changes beyond anything she- or us- ever imagined. It's that kind of story... Maybe a late coming-of-age story but, better late than never. With a Dad like hers and a was-stable-relationship with Luke you can see why it didn't exactly happen earlier. As she grows, her whole life transforms like a flower coming into bloom. It's stunning to watch, from her relationship with her brother, the depth of the novel & the surface- where we have an awesome writing style which adds to the enchantment.
You can probably tell, this was mostly a light, enjoyable read. It's Summery but I read it in Winter. It was refreshing and exactly what I needed. Go ahead, go read it. 

Amy Bookworm (@Amy_Bookworm)rated this book:

^^

Just another reason WHY you should read it, even out of season... YUP. No shame.

Take my recommendation & be powerful for it. I hope you'll read it & pass the recommendation. Let's go pay it forward...

(It wasn't enough that it was a Goodreads Award Nominee... Hehe, I wanted to read one of them & this was my choice. It helps that it's a standalone, it's easy to just pick up when you've got hold of it especially if it's a ray of a sunshine in dark wintery months, eh?)

Book Promo [#15] Blackout (T.O.E #2) Cover Reveal!

Well, fancy seeing you here! Top of the day to ya ;)
Have you noticed lots of new covers being revealed of late? Well, here's another one to add to the list! With Alecia Stone's cover for...

Centrinian Publishing Ltd
Blackout (T.O.E. Trilogy, Book 2) 

 RELEASED March 19 2014!

Series: ☑ Blackout is the sequel to the Amazon bestselling YA fantasy novel Talisman Of El. Paranormal aspects meet, with Charlie in the middle of it... What can the prophetic boy do?

  

WHAT was shall no longer be. What was not shall now become. Despite having the protection of the talisman and the Legion, a reforming force of warrior angels and elementals, guarding his every move, things are not looking good for Charlie Blake. Tasked with the responsibility of saving mankind, finding the four diamonds to restore the talisman is all he can think of, but when his prophetic visions start to invade his reality and he suddenly can’t distinguish the dream world from the real world, the pending extinction of mankind becomes the least of his problems. Everyone assumes Charlie’s dormant powers are activating, until he starts showing symptoms of a deadly disease. With his nemesis, Gaddis, threatening the lives of his loved ones, he faces a race against time to locate Raphael’s Stone, the air diamond, before an imminent pandemic destroys civilization. As he ventures into dangerous lands once again, he unearths shocking revelations about his past life that forces him to question his allegiance. With no one to turn to for answers, he can’t help but wonder if his purpose is truly to save mankind.  ~Blackout

About The Author: Alecia Stone
 at: S Facebook  ¦ Twitter ¦ Pinterest ¦ Goodreads ¦ Amazon ¦ AleciaStone.com Website  S

Alecia Stone is a full-time writer who spends most of her days with her head in a book. She loves anything and everything paranormal - the stranger the better. Her fascination with all things supernatural sparked her obsession with books, particularly young adult fantasy fiction, which she has never grown out of. She graduated with a BA in Film & TV and has worked in television for a short period of time before branching out into storytelling.

When she's not writing, she enjoys watching movies and travelling. She currently lives in the UK with her family.

Excerpt from Blackout:

Charlie’s eyes shifted back and forth between Derkein and the knife. Derkein had a look in his eyes he didn’t recognise. This wasn’t the man he had moved in with. He wasn’t the man who was soon to become his adoptive father. This was an impostor.

‘My father always said everything happened for a reason,’ Derkein said, ‘but he never met you. What good is immortality if I’m stuck in one place?’ He stopped and dropped his arm by his side, the knife slipping out of his grasp and landing with a clunking noise on the marble floor.

Charlie stopped, leaving a few inches between him and Derkein, who was standing with a guarded stance. Charlie couldn’t help but wonder who was more afraid of whom.

‘You’ve left me to rot in this god forsaken world for the rest of my life, so forgive me if I seem a tad ungrateful,’ Derkein went on in a flat tone. His blank expression left no room for interpretation. ‘If I have to rot in hell, I don’t see why I should have to suffer alone.’

Charlie didn’t see it coming. Derkein lunged at him, grabbed him by the arms, and thrust him backwards. Charlie waited for the collision of his back with the conservatory door, but the impact didn’t occur. Instead, he found himself falling and landing hard on his back in darkness. The only source of light came from the kitchen ahead of him where Derkein was standing.

‘Why do you look so surprised?’ Derkein asked. ‘What did you expect was going to happen when you resurrected me, or did I not deserve the common courtesy of a conscious thought? I’m not like you. I’m not like them. Tell me, Charlie. What am I, exactly?’

Charlie rose up into a sitting position. He didn’t have the answers Derkein was seeking. ‘I’m sorry.’ The words barely escaped his mouth.

‘Yeah. Me too.’ In the blink of an eye, Derkein and the kitchen vanished, leaving Charlie in complete darkness. He sat in the empty silence, waiting. It wasn’t until he heard his rapid breathing that he realised panic had overcome him. Charlie scampered to his feet and charged ahead of him, ramming into the hard, rough texture of a brick wall.

‘Derkein!’ he yelled, pounding the wall with his fists. ‘Derkein, please –’

‘Sol.’

Charlie felt a crawling sensation move down his spine as a shrill voice echoed around him. With his palms braced against the wall, he remained still as the voice slowly faded. He held his breath as silence invaded the space once again. When the voice didn’t return, he made a move to the right, running his hand over the wall as he searched for the door.

Within seconds, he felt a tingle of cold air on the back of his neck that made him jump, and he released his breath. He spun around, shifting his head left and right, but his eyes couldn’t penetrate the darkness that surrounded him.

He reached up towards his neck and froze. The rhythm of his heart accelerated as he moved his hand over his chest in search of the familiar touch of the two silver rings he had become so accustomed to over the past five years, but the chain wasn’t around his neck. Although he couldn’t see anything, he suddenly felt as though the darkness was closing in on him, compressing his lungs as if attempting to stifle him.

A spotlight appeared a few feet in front of him, and his heart stopped. He gulped down the lump forming in his throat as he stared at the figure submerged in the light, dangling about two feet off the ground.

Hope you enjoyed that extract & the post :) Now you are rewarded with a giveaway!

Cover Reveal Organised by:

Blackout Cover Reveal Giveaway - ends March 31st!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is international. Open to anyone who can receive gifted ebooks from amazon.com and gift cards from either amazon.com or amazon.co.uk. Alternatively, gift card winners may opt for Paypal cash ($10) or a book of choice from The Book Depository ($10).

Good luck!

Reviewing... [55] The Hit

I commend Burgess because, apparently, this was one of Chicken House's own ideas, which Burgess had to portray. That must be really hard but to some extend... you managed it, Melvin. Kinda.

Reviewing... [55] Source: Recieved from a blogger friend! Thanks Nina @ Death, Tea & BooksPublisher (as above): Chicken HouseAuthor: Melvin BurgessRecommended For: Only people who don't really care about the content they read & how... umm, violent it could be. Basically, I'll warn you, this is only suitable for like teens & above.

My Thoughts: This is one of the books which probably is why UKYA gets it's reputation for "gritty" novels. This book really came off strong. You would very easily become a bit disconcerted. I mean, even by the blurb, I hadn't guessed how typical it was going to be.
It's literally people, not just teens, doing what society often thinks of "standard teenager actions" (as well as other stuff, I'm not generalising the whole content of the book). You know, parties, physical endeavours, drugs, alcohol and just generally... experimenting. Some was quite literally, the creation of Death involved lots of Chemistry.
It got to the point where it was just tedious... I mean, I cared about Lizzie & that's about it. Cos while, on one hand, she seemed a bit like some kind of dumb, distressed damsel she was also pretty...

Does this GIF remind anyone else of Frozen?
Oh, Lizzie didn't have cool weapons but she had that look in her eyes.
BRING IT!

I obviously don't know what Gangstas are like but it didn't seem that realistic. I mean, obviously it must be hard to try and create an actually even more mentally-deranged than usual one but well... I do get that they are off-the-scale EVIL. The idea of them makes my skin crawl.
They mainly seemed a bit flat in hindsight. Do I believe a character could be as thoughtless as Adam? No. I've met people who evidently don't think actions through but to that extent- no, just no. I hate Adam. He could've died & I'd only have felt sorry for his family. I literally would've felt so sorry for his parents losing that son but... remember, Adam would have killed himself before thinking about the impacts on his family. He truly was blinded by his love for Lizzie.
I felt bad that some of the other characters, like Lizzie's relatives, hated him so much but really, he's not wholly likeable. He doesn't make my skin crawl as much as the real evils but...

AUGUDFUHHECH

He'd die just so he could do it with her. What kind of guy is that? I tell you, this is one fictional guy I'm definitely not dating. NU-UH. (I'd encourage Peeta to chuck his flour bags at him).
You do go through intense things with him but I feel like we go through a real strain with Lizzie too. She gets mixed up in this world thanks to Adam. Gee, thanks for that!
Plus, this isn't even that good. I have the sense the protests are a bit in vain? I get that some of the protests had good messages behind them but has it actually achieved anything? I don't think it has... Have you given loads of food to kids in Africa? Are underprivileged kids given a helping hand?

I don't think anything actually, like, ground-breaking happened in this. I don't think I gained much from this, other than confirmation that I wouldn't have taken Death. Not even if the whole world would implode on the 7th day. This did almost bring the world to the ruin.

Threads did pull together and I think a somewhat positive spin was there, it was subtle (deffo!)... This is a book which I felt gave me a lot of gut feelings. I thought it would be a book that prompted thoughts, and questions, and gave answers like a 3-in-1. It was a bit of a pancake, it wasn't that 3-dimensional as literally, GUT is the way to describe it. I don't even know the real emotions I was feeling...
I think its realistic that the Manchester he wrote about would be like that if Death was real... It would cause turmoil.

Amy Bookworm (@Amy_Bookworm)rated this book:

~ Amy Bookworm x ~ Come again soon!

Reviewing... [54] Amber

Reviewing... [54] Source: Lovely publishers <3 Publisher: Curious Fox  Author: Julie Sykes Recommended for: Well... specifically a) if you liked Sky Song, read this. b) if you liked this, read Sky Song. (They have certain things in common. Both have Watchers in them- but it varies between the books).

Amber. Where do I even begin?  With the cover's compliments? I don't want to say too much, but I loved how it tied in with the book very well, it's one of the most stunning covers and the font 'Amber'  is written in is perfect; it somehow managed to capture the disjointedness she felt, how there were loose ends of the tapestry that was her, unravelling. What had it looked like when ravelled? We join Amber on her journey to discover that... Also, she discover her musical talent (which I think is lovely! At one point I was sat there wondering what the love song would sound like). She meets Dan and yes, it's insta-attraction; but there is a reason why she was so attracted to him which we find out later and meant that I actually appreciated why that had happened. There was lots of things like that with this book- eventually it makes sense. I knew one of the major points of the book and it just kept being hinted at, by different characters, which in a way was foreshadowing some of you may have picked up upon. If you want to guess it before its revealed, just look up for things characters repeatedly say to Amber, and mainly as a joke! You'd think it'd be a fundamental thing, in a mystery, that you should be in the dark (about the events) to enjoy it. But it actually wasn't... It's not like I knew everything, but I knew quite a good deal and I still managed to enjoy this and there were moments where I was pleasantly a little surprised. Luckily not enough to fall off my chair, or anything as likely to end in bruising. 
This book is so different from normal paranormal romance, I can't tell you why exactly... One thing that I love (because I'm the sociological type) is one of the themes, just the fact that yes, humans are relatively stupid about caring for our planet. I can't wait to see this developed (if there is a next book, there so should be). Amber has decided its an important issue, so NOW we need to see her do something about it. Before we go over the tipping point on global destruction. But yes, there's a lot of sociology. 
This is definitely a good read with good characters (who save you from flying netballs), good guys (who are very good at sailing), good nurses (sweetie!), bad guys (you had it coming to you, gonna banish you!) Amy Bookworm rated Amber (and no, not talking about the book blogger, obvs)...

Happy reading my dearies!