Friday Brown

By Vikki Wakefield 

Goodreads

‘I am Friday Brown. I buried my mother. My grandfather buried a swimming pool. A boy who can’t speak has adopted me. A girl kissed me. I broke and entered. Now I’m fantasising about a guy who’s a victim of crime and I am the criminal. I’m going nowhere and every minute I’m not moving, I’m being tail-gated by a curse that may or may not be real. They call me Friday. It has been foretold that on a Saturday I will drown…’

Friday, 17, flees memories of her mother, grandad, and the family curse. She joins Silence in a street gang led by beautiful charismatic Arden, and escapes to a ghost town in the outback. In Murungal Creek, the town of never leaving, Friday faces the ghosts of her past. Sometimes you have to stay to finish what you started, and before you can find out who you are, you have to become someone you never meant to be.

*I would like to say thank you to Vikki Wakefield for my copy in return for a honest review, this did not affect my opinion whatsoever*

Review - No Spoilers 

I absolutely adored this novel. I think I would have read it in one sitting if I didn't have school. Friday Brown is a great easy and quick read for the weekend. I was so excited when I received this in the mail and started reading it almost immediately. I think one of the things that attracted me to this book was that it was set in Australia. I think this is one of the first books I've read that was set in Australia and I just loved it. As I am from Australia as well it made extremely easy to imagine what it looked like. 

I think a major thing in this book was the characters. Each individual character had such a uniqueness to them and they each had a different back-story which tied in with the story-line well. The protagonist, Friday, was a character that I loved reading in her perspective. Sometimes she had very witty comments and she also was a strong character who was able to adapt to terrible situations quickly. She was also such a typical Aussie which I loved and I consider her as a heroine in her own way. Sometimes I think people think to be a hero you need to be brave, strong and need to be a good leader. Yeah these are the qualities that are in one but you have to consider the different types of heroes and heroines.   

The whole book was about 'street kids' and it is not a subject I have explored before so it was completely new to me. It was well paced but sometimes I thought it was a little slow. The writing style was perfectly done in first person which is my preference. If you're one who does not like vulgar language consider yourself warned but I can tell you there were some very funny lined. To be honest I didn't know much about this book which was great because it didn't set any expectations but I took Sunny's  word for it and gave it a shot. 

I really recommend this book to anyone who likes a good contemporary. Even if you're not a huge fan like me it's nice to take a break every once and a while to read a nice light read. Friday Brown has left a great impression on me and I definitely want to try Vikki's other book All I Ever Wanted. I think this novel will be one I will remember for a while and I think it deserves more attention.

    

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

By Cassandra Clare 

Goodreads
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Review - No Spoilers

Wow, so I'm sure all you readers have heard of City of Bones by now. If not then where have you been? But I have to admit, I am proud to say that I have joined yet another fandom. The Shadow World fandom. I don't even know where to begin this review because it was just amazing, if you have not read it. Go read it now! 

There is nothing I can really say about this book that is negative so this review will probably be all positive. The pacing of this book was flawless. From page one, Cassandra Clare had me turning after page after page for hours. I think I would have been able to read it in one sitting if it weren't for so many interruptions. Usually I like novels written in first person but in this time round it did not matter as the writing style was so perfect. 

One thing I really did notice about this book is that the 'Shadow World' was really well set up. I find that if authors are creating a fantasy or dystopian world it needs to be well planned out. This made the book less confusing and it was really easy to imagine and it just made it overall amazing...The plot was perfect, and basically everything was perfect. I also liked how the book was set up into three parts. I don't know why but I always love it when books do that as it just seems so much more cooler. There's nothing more I can really say in the 'writing' aspect. 

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. The main character Clary was just an awesome heroine but at times she got a little annoying. But I love her because she's not a completely useless character but she does have a really bad habit of not listening to instructions which annoyed me at times. I obviously loved Jace. The book wouldn't nearly be as interesting if we didn't have his snarky comments here and there. Every character in this book has a role to play and even the smallest one who you think won't do much in the story end up coming back and surprising the crap out of you.  

The plot twists were amazing. It just seemed like there was never a moments rest and something was always happening. This made the book enjoyable and exciting and there was never a boring moment. I think this book definitely lived up to the hype and I'm so glad it didn't ruin it for me. I also wanted to say that though I knew so much about it, I knew nothing concerning the plot. I never decided to read the summary so it was just a really good surprise for me.   

Overall I adored this book and it's now one of my favourite series. I'm really sorry if this review didn't turn out well, I couldn't put my thoughts together very well. I definitely recommend it to you if you have not read it and I'm sure you'll love it as much as I did and every other fan. I am extremely excited for the movie and I hope they don't ruin it as it's such a great series. The casting looks okay at the moment so I'm quite happy. It's only a matter of time before it hits cinemas....

Favourite quote: 

"I was going to say muggers," Said Clary. "Though I pity the mugger who goes after you." 

I GIVE IT:

Two Diva's Bookish Discussion: eBooks vs Real Books

Hey guys, sorry it's been a while since Sunny  and I did this post and we promised we would do it fortnightly but because of interruptions in life (aka: School) we haven't had the chance to do another discussion post. We promise we'll make an effort to keep it a fortnightly thing but we can't help homework.

Judging from the post title you can guess that today's discussion is going to be about the pro's and con's about eBooks and real books. This post is inspired by one of my favourite book vlogger Christine  who vlogs about books. She is a great vlogger and you should go check out her discussions and reviews on books.

To hit it off I'm going to start with eBooks (iPhone and iPad)

Pros
Point	Reason
Lighting	There is no need for lighting so when you want to do your late night reading without your parents knowing, this is a very big help as you can just snuggle under the covers.
Storage	You can have multiple books on one device. You don’t have to worry about it taking up room on your book shelf and reading multiple books at the same time is not a problem as you can easily flick between them
Weight	It weighs nothing so you don’t have to worry about breaking your back carrying those 6 books plus all your homework home.
Notes	If you’re a blogger like me who likes to write notes on a certain book for your review well then this is very easy as you can highlight certain things and write notes.
Less Damage	All though you have to worry about your device getting wet, this still is safer as you don’t have to worry about getting your pages dirty with food marks.
Buying	Buying books is not a problem and you receive it instantly so you don’t have to worry about that long wait for your reservation at the library or having to drive to your nearest book store.
Privacy	You don’t have to worry about other people seeing what you’re reading. So if you’re a person who likes Fifty Shades of Grey then you can save yourself the embarrassment. Also if an amazing book has an awkward cover (like people kissing) then people won’t judge you at the bus stop.
Class Time	If you’re like me and like to sneak a quick read in class, then pulling out your iPhone and hiding it in your text book is not a problem.
Cons
Point	Reason
Battery	When you’ve been reading for hours you have to suffer the pain of when the screen goes black. Then you have to sit next to the power point which defeats the purpose of sneakiness.
Screen	The screens are bad for your eyes! I don’t know ‘bout you but my eyes go all blurry if I’m reading on the iPhone so I can’t read for long. And I also want to keep my good eyesight for as long as I can.

Real book

Pros
Point	Reason
Cover	I love it when a book has an interesting cover and you just take the time to notice small things.
Feeling	I like the feeling of a book in my hand. I like just lying on a couch and reading for a good few hours.
Smell	I like the smell of new books; I know it’s kinda weird.
Display	I like being able to display it on my book shelf. I also love the feeling of being able to flaunt it as I walk down the corridors of school and seeing all the people who have read its expression.
Infinite Battery	You don’t have to worry about battery, all you need is light.
Better on Eyesight	It’s obviously better for your eyesight as you’re not staring at a screen for ages.
Parents Approval	The reason I say this is because it’s not like a parent can be like stop reading that book (which they eventually do) because then you can always reply with that smart ass comment “But at least I am not one of those teenagers that sit at a computer all day looking at all sorts of inappropriate things.” I just feel so accomplished when they cannot come up with anything to say back. You also have your English teacher’s approval because they know you read. And then there are the librarians…forever their favourite.
That feeling when…	I dunno about you but I love that feeling when you walk out of a book store feeling the weight of the book in that plastic bag dangling by your side.
Cons
Points	Reason
Awkward Angles	For those of you who don’t have a lamp near your bed, I hate having to find the right angle to get the light in your room. It’s also really annoying when it’s cold and your hands are freezing trying to hold the book up.
Weight	I really hate it when I have to walk home and I have 3 books plus my school laptop and text books in my bag. Sometimes I can’t even feel my shoulders.
Non-readers	You always have that one person come up to you and be like, “What are you reading?” And when you answer they have never heard of it. And when you try and explain you make the book sound so bad.

Even though I have listed both the pros and cons, in my opinion Real Books wins this battle.Thanks for reading this post and if you would like to add anything I missed please say so in the comments in the bottom. We really love feedback as this is a discussion post for anyone to join in if they're a blogger or a non-blogger. It doesn't matter! Remember to go check out Sunny's blog as her's is different to mine. Stay posted for our next discussion in 2 weeks.

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge {Day 14-15}

It is now the last 2 day for the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge which is hosted by Good Books and Good Wine and it is basically another way for you readers to get to know us bloggers! 

Day 14

Tell us your deal breakers
If you're not sure what is meant by 'Deal Breakers' it is meant to be related to what things in a book immediately makes you not want to read it. This is quite easy as there are many topics that make me immediately cringe and I'm sure that many people agree as this has been a 'hot topic' in the blogging world recently.  

• Love Triangles - now I'm not sure about you readers but I am getting sick of these...it was cool the first time round but now it is a just getting way to common and now it seems that there can never be a normal stable relationship with two characters. I don't mind love-triangles where you yourself as a reader can't decide between the two love interests. 
• Insta-love - I find insta-love really unrealistic and I just really don't enjoy reading it at all. Sometimes I don't mind it occasionally to read a nice cute romance to take a break from all the heavy stuff but it doesn't have to necessarily be 'insta-love'. 
• Bad grammar/spelling - I just find it so weird in novels as they're meant to be professional. And if the grammar is so bad that I can't understand well then...there is no way I'm going to read it. 
• Main characters - I hate it when the main character is so hard to get along with that you just end up hate reading in there perspective. It just makes the book not enjoyable at all. 
• Dialogue - I hate it when the dialogue is just awkward, I just cringe every time a character says something really stupid 
• Embarrassing moments - This isn't necessarily a 'deal breaker' but I just hate it when something embarrassing happens as it feels like I'm the character doing it. 

This is all I could really think of the moment. Obviously there are more factors in a book that are 'deal breakers' but these are only a few. I think it just falls down to whether I enjoy it or not. 

Day 15!!! - The End

Who are your blogging mentors?

I don't really have a blogging mentor but I do have blogs which I look up to and get inspiration from. Obviously my friend Sunny has been a great help to me with starting up my blog but also a group on Goodreads called Teen Bloggers who have been a great help. If you're a newbie blogger like I am, I really suggest that you join this group. They answer all your questions concerning your blog and it's also a great group to just chat about the latest books. 

It's sad to say that this is the end of the challenge. It doesn't feel like 15 days went buy which goes to show how fast time is going. I really enjoyed doing this challenge and every day after school I would feel excited to write a new post. I would like to say thank you to Good Books and Good Wine for creating this awesome challenge and if you're a fellow book blogger like me I suggest you participate in this challenge. Trust me it won't take up to much of your time and believe me 15 days is actually a short time and also it's something you do in your own time it's not rushed. 

I would also say a quick thank you to all the readers who have been reading my posts and leaving comments. Much appreciated! 

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge {Day 13}

Describe one under-appreciated book that EVERYONE should read

This one is kind of hard because I usually read books that are recommended for me and are usually popular. The only book I can really think of at the top of my head is The Pledge by Kimberly Derting. It's sort of a well known book but not so I thought this would be a good suggestion. I would recommend more, but my brain is filled with City of Bones at the moment and I can't really think of another book at the moment.

If there is any books that you think is under-appreciated that you want to recommend me then  please say so in the comments below. I am completely open to suggestions and I don't really mind which genre.  

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge {Day 12}

The question of today is: How do you fight blogger fatigue?

The answer is quite easy for this question, I think it's important to pace yourself. I think that sometimes I just want to post, and post and do even more posting but I have to remember I have a life outside blogging and have to sleep. But my lack of sleep is usually due to a good book not because of blogging. I admit I do late night post (ahem 1:00 in the morning) but I do try and pace myself. I think it's important as a blogger to not let your blog control your life and to make sure that blogging doesn't seem like a required task. Blogging is absolutely your free will. I think changing up your blog every once in a while also helps because then you don't get bored as easily because I don't know 'bout you, but I check  my blog nearly every day. 

So these are a few points that came to mind when I thought of blogger fatigue. So what do you think of the topic? Write your answer in the comment section! 

   

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge {Day11}

Show off 5 of your best blog posts:

This is weird as that would mean I'd have to look at my reviews in the viewers point of view so I got some help and asked my good friend Sunny. 

In no particular order I have: 

1. Shatter Me - I thought this was a good review as this is where my writing had improved and I knew what sort of things to include in my review. 
2. The Harry Potter Would You Rather Tag - I really enjoyed this as I got quite a lot of response from it and it's always great from hearing from other Harry Potter fans as it is such a large fandom. 
3. The Elite  -This was quite an interesting review as I had such mixed feelings about it and I couldn't put my words together. 
4. How has blogging changed me? - This was a short discussion post on how blogging has changed me. I got quite a lot of feedback from this post and I just loved putting my opinion out there. 
5. Of Poseidon - I wasn't too sure which to choose for the last post and I decided with this one. As I am still basically a newbie my reviews weren't all that great at the start but I have to say that my reviews are getting better as they have more detail and depth to it.

So these are what I think are my best posts, if you disagree please tell me in the comments below! 

Update: I am currently reading City of Bones and I love it, my review will be up soon and I am glad to say that I have now entered the Shadowhunter Fandom...

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge {Day 10}

How do you choose what book to read next?

The way I choose to read my next book usually falls down to whether it is available. If there is a book that I am dying to read and I can't find it at my school library or local book shop well then there is no point in just waiting for it. I usually choose a book by what I haven't read that is really popular for example City of Bones (I finally borrowed it so no fear) Sometimes I choose by the cover and blurb which I do quite often. I like to choose a mixture of books I have and haven't heard about so I get a bit of variety. 

So it falls down to:

• Availability  
• What's on my TBR (to-be-read) list 
• Cover and blurb 

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge {Day 9}

Hey guys, from seeing this tag on a number of blogs I decided to join in as it sounds like fun. This challenge is hosted by Good Books and Good Wine and it is basically another way for you readers to get to know us bloggers! 

Why do you blog books?

This is surprisingly a tough question as I don't really have a real reason. Sunny was the person who got me into blogging and she blogged about books so I got my inspiration from her. But I think it's also because I am such an avid reader that it makes sense for me to write my opinion on books I read. And I don't really have any other things I want to blog about anyway's so books just seemed to be the ideal topic for me.  

What is you're topic for blogging and why?

The Fault in Our Stars

By John Green 

- Goodreads -

Despite the tumour-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 - No spoilers 

I just finished this book and I'm really sorry if this review doesn't make any sense but my words are a bit jumbled right now. I am sure you have either heard or read this book as the hype surrounding it is very big. As a blogger I sort of felt obligated to read it and I have been recommended it so many time, so finally I was able to get it at my school library. Now if you have not read this book you need to drop anything you're reading and read this somehow!

The writing style for me in this book wasn't all that great. It was very simplistic and sort of amateur but I find it means that anybody can read it. People who are non-readers can read it which means this books greatness can be shared with anybody. I found it slightly weird though because the writing was simple but there was a lot of talk about really serious matters.

I really like the protagonist, Hazel. She is very brave character battling cancer when she knows she can die any moment. I obviously fell in love with Augustus Waters and his quirky personality. The characters were well done and there isn't much else I can really say....I just loved the characters!

The concept of this book is obviously a very important one. I think it is very important for teenagers to explore it as it really reminds you that life isn't all rainbows and sunshine. I also found it very touching as my younger brothers friend has cancer and I found it really easy to relate too. This is a very emotional book and many people said they cried but I didn't as I don't really cry in books.

There's nothing much I can really say about this book. Just trust me when I say it was brilliant and you should go read it. There's nothing much I can really say...this review kind of failed. I'm really sorry but my mind is refusing to let me create any proper words. The Fault in Our Stars will forever have a place in my heart but I think I didn't enjoy it as much as I don't really go for these genres but boy was it amazing...

In the end I give it:

  

Stacking The Shelves 20/07/13

Hey guys, it's been a while since I've done a Stacking The Shelves post which is hosted by Tynga's Reviews because the last post was basically to cover the whole holidays. But now that I am back at school...I have got new books.

I borrowed: 

The Fault in our Stars by John Green - Yes I finally got this book from the library and I am currently reading it. It's pretty good so far but I think the hype sort of ruined it for me. 

Acid by Emma Pass - I am really excited to read this as it is a dystopian and I am feeling ready for some action. 

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa - I'm not too sure what to expect of this book as I have read many reviews with mixed feelings about them.

On Monday I will be picking up City of Bones from my school library so I am also very excited to read that!!! I feel like I'm missing out on a brilliant fandom if I don't read this book. And I want to read it before the movie comes out so I can fully criticize it... 

I bought: 

Dark Visions by L.J Smith - I found this book at K-mart for $3.50 and I thought it would be stupid to not pick it up as it 3 books in 1. I am not sure what to expect from this series as I have never heard about them so I'm excited because I like reading books that are not well known. 

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting - As you know from my previous review I have already read it. But it was only $1.50 from K-mart so again I couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy such a cheap book.

Insatiable by Meg Cabot - I haven't heard anything about  this book before and it was $8 at a sale so I couldn't help but pick it up. 

I received for review: 

I received Zac & Mia from Text Publishing for review. I am very excited to read this as it is my first book I have gotten for review. I also got sent Friday Brown from Vikki Wakefield, this is a book set in Australia so I cannot wait to read this book as not many books are. I think this will be one of my first books I will read that is set in Australia and I think it'll be easier for me to picture.

So overall I have many books to read and I am very excited. I will be finishing The Fault in our Stars soon so stay posted for my review! 

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge {Day 7-8}

Day 7

As you can tell I missed out to write this post yesterday as I had a lot of school work so apologise for the delay. For Day 7 I have to write about my blogging 'quirks.' To be honest I don't know what my quirks are so I was thinking of changing today's challenge up. I want you readers to answer in the comment section what my blogging quirks are. I don't care what you say, it can be something bad I do or suggestions to improve my review. To get you started I can imagine I have really bad spelling and grammatical errors but keep in mind I'm Australian so I might spell certain words different to you.

What are my blogging quirks?

Day 8  

Today I have to write 15 bullet points on what things appeal to me on blogs. 

1. Readable fonts: I think this is a very important factor as I hate fonts that are really hard to read and I have to squint and lean into the computer screen. (And it's really bad for the eyes!)
2. Gif's: I really like funny gif's you see in reviews but too many can ruin it as it's always the content that counts.
3. Good Designs: I obviously like a good design for example a fancy header. 
4. Sidebars: I don't like clogged sidebars 
5. Promoting books:I like it when I don't see a well known book because then I know nothing about it and it's not like I've seen fifty other reviews on it. *cough* Cassandra Clare *cough* 
6. Background Colour:A white back ground: When I say this, I meant I don't really like reading white writing on a black background. 
7. Size: A good size font (sorry font really matters to me)
8. Detailed Reviews:I like it when people have detailed reviews, I hate it when people were just like it's amazing...some explanation needed please. But I understand when it's hard to find words to express the feels that you are going through.
9. URL:I saw this on another blog called A Little Shelf of Heaven and the point was simple URL. I think this is really important because it gets annoying when it gets all complicated with numbers and certain words a spelt differently for example Kids is spelt Kidz...at least give us a chance to guess.
10. Discussions: I really like posts that are easy to respond to like discussions. I really like joining in on the conversation and just love putting my opinion out there. (Which is why I blog)
11. Spelling/Grammar: Obviously I like correct spelling and grammar but we all make mistakes all the time and I'm sure I do it all the time...
12. Give-aways: I really love entering give-aways...and obviously winning them. 
13. Weekly Memes: I like seeing weekly memes and stuff such as stacking the shelves and waiting on Wednesday.
14. Layout Size: I like the size of the layout to be reasonable. I don't like it when the sidebar pushed the post to the side, it takes the attention away from what matters. 
15. Humour: I like it when a review has humour in it. It really connects to the audience and I love having a laugh here and there. 

So that ends today's challenge. What did you think? Did you agree or disagree with what I said? If so please drop a comment below and I will be sure to check em out! 

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge {Day 6}

Today I have to describe how I shop for books. Now this is going to be a very short post because I can tell you now...I never get to buy books. If I do get money I usually get the choice to get one book which is heart breaking because I usually have to choose out of like 10. I usually shop at Dymocks and I recently found out that Kinokuniya is waaay more cheaper ($3-$5, doesn't seem like much but it all adds up) so I know I'll be buying my books there from now on. I usually borrow books as I have no room on my bookshelf but I am happy because I'll probably be getting a new one soon!!!

But the way I shop for books usually follow this devastating pattern:

1. I find a new book on Goodreads that I am dying to read *cough* The 5th Wave
2. I march up to my local book store with a determined expression (QBD or Dymocks) 
3. I then search for this (one) book and find like 50 others that I want
4. Get all excited that this book store has all these books
5. I then fish around in my pocket to find that there is nothing but an old hair band or an old mint.
6. Then I start weeping on the book store floor surrounded in a pile of books earning me odd stares from innocent bystanders because I'm broke.  
7. I start reading a book trying to get as much read in a limited amount of time
8. 1 hour later the shop owner gives me the stare that says "Are you going to buy that" 
9. Then I have to leave...

So yeah...that is how I describe how I shop for books.

How do you shop for books?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge {Day 5}

For today's challenge I have to recommend a tear jerker. Now I don't really cry when I read books and I can't remember the last one I did so I have nothing to recommend. Does this mean I fail the challenge??? *Gasp* I hope not! Because I haven't read The Fault in our Stars I don't know whether I actually will cry but judging from everyone else's feed back this one is definitely one to bring on the waterworks. I'm happy because the reservation has finally come in and I can pick it up tomorrow!!!

Notice: I'm sorry if there won't be much activity on this blog but school just started back again and I won't be able to read as much...so don't expect much for a while!

The Prince

By Kiera Cass 

If you don't already know what it is by the title, The Prince is a short novella which is set just before The Selection and it is written in Prince Maxon's point of view.(POV) After reading The Elite I could not resist reading this short novella and I have to say I'm impressed. I don't know why but it is refreshing reading in a guy's POV and Kiera Cass did a wonderful job of it. Sometimes I think when authors write in a guy's point of view it can come across as too girly or I cannot tell the difference between the girl or the guy so that's why I don't normally read those sort of books. This novella was exceptionally good and it made me wish we would get more written in Maxon's POV. 

Another thing I liked about it is that we get more of Maxon's personality and how he views things. It showed that he did have a couple of flaws and he is not absolutely perfect. I think when we read The Selection in America's POV, Maxon comes across as the perfect person and prince so it was really nice to see that he was really nervous about the Selection. 

Overall I thought it was a cute novella which you should definitely read. It won't take you long as it is a really short (6 chapters) and you can finish it in about 20 minutes.

   

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge {Day 4}

The question for today is: *drum-roll*

What's the last book you flung across the room?

I had to think long and hard about this one because I don't tend to throw books...ever. But after much thought the Sequel to The Goddess Test, Goddess Interrupted was definitely the last one I threw. As you can tell by my heated review this novel really irked me. I loved the first book and I thought it was amazing but this one just let me down so hard. I won't even go into the details as to why or it'll end in another rant but Goddess Interrupted was definitely the last book I flung across the room. I'm not to sure whether I want to continue the series as there are many other books on my TBR pile (which keeps growing) but I have to say I am still pretty curious as to what happens. I hate starting a series and not continue read it.

The Elite (The Selection #2)

By Kiera Cass 

If you have not seen my review on The Selection please click here first! 

- Goodreads -
Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending

Review - May contain spoilers if you have not read The Selection 

I just finished reading The Elite and my mind is blown. I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book as I have heard many reviews with different opinions. Some said that The Elite was not as good as the first novel and I have to agree. I did not enjoy it as much but it still left me turning page after page. This review is going to be really hard to write as I found that I both hated and loved this book so if I don't make any sense...bare with me.

I don't really need to start off with the cover because we all know that The Selection series always have the prettiest covers. So I'm going to jump straight into the things I did not like about this book. As we know from The Selection there is a love-triangle going on between America, Aspen and Maxon. I really don't like love-triangles unless they're really well written and I found that this one just grew more annoying by the minute. I could hardly stand it in the first novel and this book just took it that next step further.

America's indecisiveness gets worse in this book and I feel like her character changed. She used to be quite a strong character considering the madness going on with the competition. She makes a lot of stupid mistakes in the first book but at least you can tolerate them as they're easily forgiven. In this book she makes big stupid mistakes that jeopardise  a lot of situation. For a smart girl she is very stupid. I also find she's selfish and foolish and she doesn't give people a chance to speak and explain the situation. I was just appalled about how she treated Maxon...ahh I'm trying not to spoil. Anyway I basically think she is making it harder for herself and she is letting everyone make her second guess herself.

Aspen...I absolutely hated him in this book. It just felt like every time everything was going fine, he had to come and just make her second guess herself by saying something. He was a nuisance and I just hope that he does something stupid to make America realise that Maxon is the better choice. To me this love-triangle is very weakly set up as it's obvious she is going to choose Maxon. But these are just my opinions obviously.

I also felt really sorry for Maxon. He is trying to make the situation better but America never let's him get a single word in. I felt like he could have stood up for himself a little more and be like "No America, you need to hear me out." I just feel like there is so much that we don't know about him and she's not giving him the chance. Not only does he have to deal with her but he has to deal with family issues and just the whole role of being a prince.

In the next book I am really hoping that the whole Selection ordeal is done and it's going to be focusing more on the rebel attacks and the war. The rebel attacks were like in The Selection  I thought they were weakly done and I am always hoping for something more. I don't know what could happen but I feel like it could be more realistic because all they do is end up trashing the palace and it makes it feel less threatening. And the whole thing with the Northerners and the Southerners confuse me, are they both allied with each other or not. Are they both fighting for the same goal. I don't know I guess all our questions will be answered in the next book.

Overall I think it was good but not at the same time. It was well written and everything but it's just all these things that add up to make you not like it but love it. To be honest I don't see how this story is going to end in a trilogy and I just hope the Kiera Cass has something up her sleeve to just mind blow us all. I think that the next book will seal the fate of the series as to whether I enjoyed it or not. I know this is a very harsh review and I hate to do that to book but this is only my opinion. Even though I have mixed emotions on this book I still think it was a good and quick read.

My fave quote:

"If there's one thing I've learned from being in the Selection, it's that some girls have a frightening killer instinct. Don't let the ball gowns fool you," She finished with a smile. 

I GIVE IT: