Tuesday 18 September 2012

The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson

Title; The Bermudez Triangle

Author; Maureen Johnson

Publisher; Razorbill - Penguin

Publication Date; October 7th 2004

Description; What happens when your two best friends fall in love...with each other?

"Their friendship went so far back, it bordered on the Biblical -- in the beginning, there was Nina and Avery and Mel." So says high school senior Nina Bermudez about herself and her two best friends, nicknamed "The Bermudez Triangle" by a jealous wannabe back on Nina's eleventh birthday. But the threesome faces their first separation when Nina goes away the summer before their senior year. And in ten short weeks, everything changes.

Nina returns home bursting with stories about Steve, the quirky yet adorable eco-warrior she fell for hard while away. But when she asks her best friends about their summer romances, an awkward silence follows.

Nina soon learns the shocking truth when she sees Mel and Avery...kissing. Their friendship is rocked by what feels like the ultimate challenge. But it's only the beginning of a sometimes painful, sometimes funny, always gripping journey as three girls discover who they are and what they really want.

Star Rating; 4 Stars

Will I ever read anything else by this author? I would like to try another book by Maureen Johnson, yes.

Would I recommend it? Yes

Who would I recommend it to? Everybody who likes YA and realistic romance fiction.

Review; I'm half happy with this book. There were things I enjoyed. But I was only half happy with the ending. Nina was stupid. That's all I can say.
This book made me laugh out loud in parts, but honestly I was expecting more, I wanted more romance, more friendship, more everything. Maybe this was because of the way it was narrated. It needed to be narrated by 3 people, but I don't think the POV changes were done in a good enough way.
This is a book I could read again. There were some quite good parts, but it's not going on my favourites list.
Overall an okay book that I would still recommend.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3) by Cassandra Clare

This review will most likely contain spoilers for the first and second books!

Title; City of Glass

Author; Cassandra Clare

Series; The Mortal Instruments Book Three

Can it stand alone? Nope, the series should be read in order!

Publisher; Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication Date; March 24th 2009

Description; To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.

Star Rating; 5 stars!

Would I read anything else by this author? Yes

Would I recommend this book? Yes

Who would I recommend it to? Those who liked the first two books in the series, and those who didn't.

Review; This was supposed to be the last book, but there are at least three more books after it now! So ignore the last bit of the description (I got it from Goodreads as always!) 
This book does draw to a conclusion, but I still can't wait to see what Cassandra Clare will throw at me next. I'm wondering where the series could possibly go...
This, by far, is my favourite book in the series so far! There was more to it, more action, more stuff going on. 
Jace wasn't being as  much of douche. And there was so much going on with other characters too! I laughed at times, and I cried at times. 
I wish I owned book four right now, but I don't. The end does conclude, but I love this series so much, that I want more from it. I can't wait for the movie next year either!
This series, so far, is great. It will make you feel for the characters. Which is what a good book is supposed to do! I recommend this series. All of it, including the book I haven't read yet!

Friday 7 September 2012

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

This review will contain spoilers for the first book. Don't read this review if you haven't read City of Bones!

Title; City of Ashes

Author; Cassandra Clare

Series; The Mortal Instruments Book Two

Can it stand alone? No

Publisher; Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication Date; March 25th 2008

Description; Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Star Rating; 4.75 stars

Would I read anything else by this author? Yes

Would I recommend this book? Yes

Who would I recommend it to? Fans of the first book

Review; I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the first. I'm not entirely sure why that is. Maybe because of the ending of the last book. Jace and Clary have so much chemistry. Why did they have to be brother and sister? Ugh!
I'm beginning to hate Valentine even more. If that's possible. Why can't he die already? He puts a damper on everyone's mood. Including mine!
Jace was a bit (a lot) of a jerk in this book. I guess you can sort of understand why, but he didn't have to be that much of a jerk off. But even though he was a jerk I still felt bad for him.
In this book there are changes in the point of view where as last time it was all in Clary's. We don't really get to know the characters that much better. But I think it is needed for some parts of the book. It does help us get the bigger picture.
Overall I did enjoy this book, but I couldn't get into it as much as the first. It is still worth the read if you have read the first one though. Now on to City of Glass!

Wednesday 5 September 2012

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

Title; City of Bones

Author; Cassandra Clare

Series; The Mortal Instruments Book One

Can it stand alone? I'm not entirely sure, but I want to read on. (My sister thinks it could stand alone...)

Publisher; Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication Date; March 27th 2007

Description; 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. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Star Rating; 5 Stars

Would I read anything else by this author? Yes, I would

Would I recommend this book? Yes

Who would I recommend it to? Probably fans of Young Adult novels, and fantasy fans. (There are lots of fantasy creatures in the book.)

Review; So. Many. Feels. There are no words for the amount of feelings this book and its events cause so I will just call them feels. Major Feels.
Let's start with the characters. The characters personalities made them slightly more real to me. Which made me like them and the book slightly more.
I liked Clary the most. Probably because she stood up for herself slightly. She didn't make whatever boys liked her wait on her, hand and foot.
The ending seemed conclusive, but it was not. I still have so many questions! (Which is why I'm glad I own the second and third book!)
There are still a lot of questions to be answered. I won't put any of them here because it will give away bit of the story and we don't want that!
Honestly this book is a bit hard to review right now because I've already started reading the sequel, but it is a good book. Well I enjoyed it anyway. (It's a good fandom to be a part of on Tumblr too!)
All in all I think this book is quite good. A series you can get attached to and feel a part of.
I'd recommend it to all my followers and anybody else who happens to read this post.