Twisted by K.A. Robinson (book review by Efterpi)

Author: K.A. Robinson
Release Date: May 7th 2013
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 320
Series: Torn #2
Rating: 4 stars
Buy on: Amazon
Add on Goodreads

Chloe and Drake have found their happily ever after... Almost.

When Chloe's mother comes back into her life with a bang, it sets off a chain of events no one could have ever expected.
Everyone has their demons, and Chloe and Drake's hit them with a vengence.

Sex, drugs, money, a crazy ex, and Rock n Roll.... Can they survive it all?

Things are beginning to feel a bit... Twisted.

Review: 

ARC Kindly Provided by Atria Books

This book had me pulling my hair so hard I thought I would be bald by the end of it. It was amazing.

While we continue with the story of Chloe and Drake we come face to face with their pasts. Chloe has to deal with her impossible mother trying to avoid involving Drake in this abusive relatioship, but once Drake leaves for his tour with his band everything goes downhill.

In a series of events we get to see Chloe unravel in the worst possible way, and while her cousin is trying to help her deal with her problems Drake has to deal with his fears..jealousy, insecurity and drugs mix with his bad boy attitude in a lethal combination.

The second book of the series Torn is much more serious, concentrates on the problems of each of the characters and how they try to solve them without ruining each other. We get to see that understanding and love can heal every open wound and that with communication you get to tame the most horrible beast.

I loved the writing and how Robinson did a good job with the supporting characters as well. Other than that some drama was unnecessary and some scenes seemed a little forced but that was the only drawback. The book itself was an emotional roller coaster that I never wanted it to stop, it pulled me in and by the time the book was done I came up breathless and wanting more.

Cant wait to read book 3.

Meet Me At The River by Nina De Grammont (book review by Efterpi)

Author: Nina De Gramont
Release Date: October 13th 2013
Publisher: Atheneum
Pages: 384
Rating: 4 stars
Buy on: Amazon

We can't choose who we love - but can we choose to let go?

Stepsiblings Tressa and Luke have been close since they were little - and when they become teenagers, they slip from being best friends to being something more. Their relationship makes everyone around them uncomfortable, but they can't - won't - deny their connection. Nothing can keep them apart.

Not even death. Luke is killed in a horrible, tragic accident, and Tressa is suddenly and desperately alone. Unable to outrun the waves of grief and guilt and longing, she is haunted by thoughts of suicide. And then she is haunted by Luke himself.

He visits only at night. But when he's with her, it's almost like the accident never happened. Oh, there are reminders, from the way she can only feel him when he touches the scars on her wrist, to how she can't seem to tell him about life since he's been gone. As long as they're together, though, the rest - it fades away.

But during the day it is Tressa who can't grasp hold of the people around her. The same people who never wanted her and Luke together in the first place are determined to help her move on. Determined to help her heal. They just don't understand - one misstep, one inch forward, could leave Luke behind forever.

Reviews:

When I was working at a bookstore I was around 100's of books...between them was this one.

The storyline is simple and cliché – about a girl and a boy , the ''mean parents'' (this reminds me of stuff – probably he is reading this right now and he is either smilling or cursing :) , a weird mother and the boys death. Its a pretty cliché romance BUT (drumroll please) the writing is so beautifuly amazing, so superb and although I wouldn;t read this book the writing alone made me finish it within a day.

Meet Tressa the girlfriend left behind and has to cope with the death of her boyfriend. Meet Luke the dead boyfriend – he is dead I know – but what kind of a young adult novel would that be without the dead coming back to hunt us???? Right. What I have to say next may be confusing for some and not for others. Although Meet Me At The River has a touch of paranormal the whole plot is all about coping with grief and life. Coming of age like. The beautiful writing that I mentioned earlier helped a lot to shape the story.

Its a sad book. I didnt cry but my heart swell from sadness when paranormal and actual real life blended together. Tressa trying to find a way to cope with the loss and Luke trying to help her do it. How the people after an accident see you, how you get special treatment like you are a celebrity or simply because they think you are too fragile that if they push you even a tad you will break into a thousand little pieces.

There is a side story to the whole thing as well. Tressas mother and her adventures. This is the most important of all in order to understand Tressa and what shaped her. Why she didn;t quite fit with the rest and why Luke chose her. Make sure to pay extra attention to the family explaining otherwise you wont understand a thing.

This is a great read and although not The Fault In Our Stars (tears tears everywhere) this is a book worth reading.

Zlata's Diary by Zlata Filipovic (book review by Eleni)

Author: Zlata Filipovic
Release Date: February 1st 1994
Publisher: Viking Penguin
Pages: 208
Rating: 4 stars
Buy on: Amazon

In a voice both innocent and wise, touchingly reminiscent of Anne Frank's, Zlata Filipovic's diary has awoken the conscience of the world. Now thirteen years old, Zlata began her diary just before her eleventh birthday, when there was peace in Sarajevo and her life was that of a bright, intelligent, carefree young girl. Her early entries describe her friends, her new skis, her family, her grades at school, her interest in joining the Madonna Fan Club. And then, on television, she sees the bombs falling on Dubrovnik. Though repelled by the sight, Zlata cannot conceive of the same thing happening in Sarajevo. When it does, the whole tone of her diary changes. 

Review:

In my opinion you can really review a diary, a diary written by a little girl that had her childhood stolen from the cruelty of war. A lot of people have compared this diary to the Diary of Anne Frank and I have to agree to that. It's pretty much the same situations but different times, and that makes you think how can things like that happen today? How people go into war without even thinking of the consequences that it will have on children, to their country, to their world?

We see Zlata writing in her diary before the war broke out and all you can see is a happy kid, a kid listening to Michael Jackson, and Madonna, going to her friends homes , watching MTV and dreaming of rock stars and pop stars, we see a kid that he utmost concern is homework and all that change in an instant with the declaration of war.

War transforms a person from kind to cruel, from soft to hard, imagine the impact that it has to a 12 year old child, the damage it can create. Suddenly, Zlata changes and starts thinking about politics and worry about things that kids their age should not, either because they are too young to comprehend or because simply they have other fun stuff in their minds. We see Zlata growing up and get more serious, more worried about her family's safety and her own and its heart breaking.

Although, most of us can only read diaries like these we should try and prevent situations similar to what Zlata and Anne Frank went through to occur again. 

Night by Ellie Wiesel (book review by Eleni)

Author: Ellie Wiesel
Release Date: January 1st 1958
Publisher: Hill and Wang
Series: Night #1
Pages: 120
Rating: 4 stars
Buy on: Amazon

A terrifying account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an agonized witness to the death of his family...the death of his innocence...and the death of his God. Penetrating and powerful, as personal as The Diary Of Anne Frank, Night awakens the shocking memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this horror must never be allowed to happen again.

Review: 

While doing an experiment on reading books of WWII Death Camp survivor's accounts and memoirs I came across this little book and to be honest, this is the most memorable in comparison to the rest.

Like every autobiographical book, it starts with a little background on the authors life at the time and fast enough it progresses to the main events of the book - at this point the story turns into Nightmare.  Young Ellie was taken to Auschwitz - Birkenau in train vagons that were for animals - he and his family were treated like animals. Once in the death camp he is being separeted from his family and stays with his father and thats because an inmate warned them by telling them to lie about their ages.

From that point on we see the everyday life in Auschwitz - the nightmares those people had to go through, the starvation and the treatment they were receiving.The most important of all in this book is how a person changes - how war can change a human being from good to bad, from ethical to unethical. 

At some point in the book we actually read how Ellie wished his father was dead so he wouldn't bear his burden, how he was disgusted at himself a second later for thinking of it and how he realised that he was changed so much within those few months he was in the camp, but anyone would think that way, especially when you try to survive, when life becomes a struggle about your life and when you are willing to do anything to survive, sacrifice everything just to get alive from this nightmare.I felt so sad after reading this paragraph, so guilty for a reason I cannot comprehend.

The reason I gave this book 4 stars is because of the way the book is written, although I know that is is an abridged version of the book in comparison to the original one which is only available in Yiddish (the full version). I think the publisher went too far with cutting out shocking scenes from the book that it severed a lot the content and especially for those who wanted to read more and wanted more insight of Auschwitz. 

It;s a great account of the Holocaust that everyone should read.

Clockwork Princess by Cassadra Clare book review by Eleni

Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 19th 2013
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
Series: The Infernal Devices
Pages: 565
Rating: 5 stars
Buy on: Amazon , Barnes and Noble

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy – aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shaodwhunters of the London Institute. 

A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her. 

Review:
Okay, here we go. It took me two whole days to come up with a review for this...book. This book that tore my heart in two and made me so freaking angry and made me lost it totally..is one of the greatest books I ever read on this genre.

I wont spoil anything at all but what I will say to you is that go buy, download, loan whatever this book right now and start reading. It will drive you crazy and i have to say that you will be pulling your hair with utmost despair.

The characters are all the same and the story starts from where it was left on the Clockwork Prince and then everything goes to hell literally. Tessa is about to marry Jem and the rest of the Shadowhunters try to figure out what to do with the infamous Mortmain. Suddenly, when everything is going bad Will comes up with the news that there is no yin fen for purchase anymore due to the fact that Mortmain bought everything. And the downfall starts.

I really hated the fact that Clare had to totally tear her characters apart in this book and have everyone suffer as much as possible - with the only exception of Will who suffers a lot more than the others. Tessa has found herself in a love triangle again but this time the weight goes towards Will - but wait..she is not sure. I dont know how Clare did this but Tessa gave me the impression (Again) that she was trying to convince herself that she loved Jem, although we all know that she loves Will.

I cant say how much i wanted to cry when Jem was dying and when Will talked to him about some things. How both of them love each other and how each one of them would sacrifice himself for the other. This 10 pages were the most emotional in the whole book. Clare did a good job with words again. She gave a great description of how the bond of a parabatai ends and how it really feels. It was just heartbreaking and amazing.

I want to make a huge spoiler but i cant because i told you i wont but towards the end of the book all of you will get a huge shock. I thought i would die because what happened goes beyond imagination and seriously i think that what happened is a huge slap in the face for Jem...poor, kind Jem but for that part and only i am so glad that i read the book.

In the whole book what i DID NOT LIKE AT ALL IS THE EPILOGUE. Seriously??? 15 pages for 130 years of life????Okay i have to say that some lines made me tear up and think about it after i finished the book and i have to give that to Clare -she can make you cry with just one line. But what really happened in the last 4 pages is what made me so angry. What happens is kinda weird when it comes to honor and respect and also She leaves you with the impression that there's gonna be more but i dont think it will be more. Agh!!!!

Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Princess is one of my favorite books now and i will return to it sometime in the future.

September Girls by Bennett Madison book review

Author: Bennett Madison
Release Date: May 21st 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 352
Rating: 4 stars
Buy At: Barnes and Noble, Amazon

When Sam's dad whisks him and his brother off to a remote beach town for the summer, he's all for it-- at first. Sam soon realizes, though, that this place is anything but ordinary. Time seems to slow down around here, and everywhere he looks, there are beautiful blond girls. Girls who seem inexplicably drawn to him. 

Then Sam meets DeeDee, one of the Girls, and she's different from the others. Just as he starts to fall for her, she pulls away, leaving him more confused than ever. He knows that if he's going to get her back, he'll have to uncover the secret of this beach and the girls who live here.

Review:

Well i don't know what to say about this book. I had no idea it would be paranormal fiction. when i started reading it i thought that it was just an indie book with a coming of age theme but no.
at some point people started falling in love and act weird until BOOM! mermaids appear. I was like wtf!!!

I enjoyed reading the book and especially the characters. it was truthful when it comes to family problems and seeing people close to you fall into the nets of depression and i liked the mermaid thing as much. it was original. 

The mermaid thing had nothing to do with Ariel or Syrenka. It was a totally different concept and i think it contributes to the fictional history of mermaids.

I totally recommend this book.

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman book review

Author: Alice Hoffman
Release Date: August 3rd 2003
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Pages: 286
Rating: 2 stars
Buy At: Barnes and Noble , Amazon

The bestselling author of Second Nature, Illumination Night and Turtle Moon now offers her most fascinating and tantalizingly accomplished novel yet -- a winning tale that amply confirms Alice Hoffman's reputation not only as a genius of the vivid scene and unforgettable character but as one of America's most captivating storytellers.

When the beautiful and precocious sisters Sally and Gillian Owens are orphaned at a young age, they are taken to a small Massachusetts town to be raised by their eccentric aunts, who happen to dwell in the darkest, eeriest house in town. As they become more aware of their aunts' mysterious and sometimes frightening powers -- and as their own powers begin to surface -- the sisters grow determined to escape their strange upbringing by blending into "normal" society.

But both find that they cannot elude their magic-filled past. And when trouble strikes -- in the form of a menacing backyard ghost -- the sisters must not only reunite three generations of Owens women but embrace their magic as a gift -- and their key to a future of love and passion. Funny, haunting, and shamelessly romantic, Practical Magic is bewitching entertainment .

Review:

Seriously i thought i would die reading this book. i thought that it would never ever end...it went on forever.
ok so on this particular case the movie was way better than the actual book. The book in other words sucked. maybe i should have read the book first and then watched the movie but when you grow up with this movie and you live in a country where the book is not available what do you expect.


the book was awful. the writer had a way of telling things which in a way was both calming and nerve wrecking...while i was reading some peaceful paragraph the word f*** and p**** would suddenly appear making me think wtf?

i think that the book didnt have a plot. i felt like the writer just grabbed a piece of paper and started writing without a plan or something in her mind. people say that the book is all about witchcraft but i didnt see any actual witchcraft...the movie held that part a lot better.


i would not recommend this book to you...i would recommend the movie instead. so go and watch the movie.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green Book Review

Author: John Green
Release Date: January 10th 2012
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 316
Rating: 5 stars

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.







Review:

    Okay let me get this straight. this is the best novel I have ever read.period. I have never ever experienced feelings of happiness and sadness at such excess. ever. 

     While reading this book I felt myself laughing at the amazing humor and at the same time feeling depressed. it wasn't an emotional roller coaster...it was a roller coaster with two speeds. happy and sad and that was pretty much it. 

     I suddenly found myself sobbing tp the point my husband woke up asking me what was wrong and to the point I mumbled don't you ever die on me while trying to catch my breath. Cried while reading a book before? Never happened and I think it wont ever happen again.

     The whole theme of the book had to do with cancer and how people find a way to love and to forgive and appreciate life and family and friends. How through a disease a person can change so much and how love can be found...and lost. The book also concentrates on the side characters that also play an important role in the book and to the main characters. Enough with the analyzation just go read the book and get your minds blown away.
      I fucking totally recommend this awesome book.