Northern Lights - Philip Pullman

Northern Lights – Philip Pullman

Pages: 397

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: 28^th March 2011 (originally 21/01/95)

Other Titles in the Series: The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass

“Without this child, we shall all die”

Lyra and her animal daemon live half-wild and carefree among the scholars of Jordan College, Oxford. But the destiny that has awaited her since birth takes her on a dangerous journey to the frozen North in search of a kidnapped friend. It is a journey that will have immeasurable consequences for her own world...

When great modern children’s literature is talked about, Northern Lights is one of the most frequently mentioned books. And I hadn’t read it until last week.

My expectations for the first book in Philip Pullman’s beloved trilogy were sky-high – I was expecting to fall into this world and never want to leave, to love Lyra and Pan so much it hurt and to gobble down all three books within days. And while I did eventually enjoy Northern Lights, it didn't quite meet all the hype that I’ve been hearing since I became attuned to the book world. I think that the problem that I had with this book was that Philip Pullman didn’t explain all of the different terms and names and there was barely no exposition at all.

However, I do think that this is what captures children in this novel. You were firmly planted in Lyra’s world as if you lived at Jordan with her or travelled with the gyptians – there would have been no reason to be told about your own world. There are of course, things that Lyra doesn’t know or understand as well so we learnt along with her about Dust, the Gobblers and the daemons. But though I understand this, it didn't get on my nerves a little and I would have liked a little more exposition earlier on in the novel.

When I first started Northern Lights and was a little disappointed that I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I wanted to it was the mysteries and my curiosity that kept me going. The idea of the daemons and their connection to the humans fascinated me and I really, really wanted to know how that worked. I also felt the same about Dust, especially with what was going on in the North...

I’m really glad I picked up Northern Lights and that I ended up enjoying it. I shall definitely be reading the rest of the trilogy.

For my 2011 British Books Challenge

Sophie

Clockwork Prince - Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince – Cassandra Clare

Pages: 496

Publisher: Walker Books

Release Date: 6^th December 2011

            Other Titles by this Author: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, Clockwork Angel

Love and lies can corrupt even the purest heart...

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, while her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will – the walls he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers to who she is and what she was born to do? As their search for the truth leads the three friends into peril, Tessa’s heart is increasingly torn, especially when one of their own betrays them...

Exclusive collector’s edition: read for the first time the letter Will Herondale writes in Clockwork Angel and the short story “Burning Bright”.

Cassandra Clare really does know how to shock you, rip your heart out and then leave you dangling all within the space of just under five hundred pages.

As a dedicated member of Team Will, I loved Clockwork Prince. We saw him break down, open  up and we learned the secrets of why he is how he is. And oh my goodness. I was left in total shock at that particular revelation, but it explained everything and completely broke my heart. But with this came more agony and me falling in love with him even more – he’s awesome. But it was the tension between him and Tessa that really captured me. It sizzled off of the page and almost set the book alight.

But it wasn’t just Will who came into his own in Clockwork Prince, Jem did too. I didn't really feel that I got to know Jem all that well in Clockwork Angel, but with all of the time that Tessa spent with him in this instalment, things changed and I began to see why so many people are Team Jem. His illness and the way he views himself towards other people because of that were heartbreaking to read. There was also a much stronger sense of the Tessa/Will/Jem love triangle in this book that while I found it occasionally annoying, I completely understood why Tessa was so torn between those two lovely boys.

As well as a ridiculous skill for making you fall in love with her characters, Cassandra Clare really knows how to spin an addicting and all-consuming plot. The impending threat of Mortmain, the fear of Charlotte losing the Institute and wondering what on earth Jessamine was up to made me nearly unable to stop after ‘just one more chapter’ as I kept telling myself. The action was furiously paced and had me holding my breath and the softer down times often had me grinning like an idiot.

I love everything that Cassandra Clare writes, even though she writes horrible cliffhangers, and I am beyond ready for Clockwork Princess.

For my 2011 Historical Fiction Challenge

A big thank you to Walker for sending me a copy for review.

Sophie

2012 Contemporary YA Challenge - Completed!

As I’m hosting Contemporary YA Month in January, it seems only fitting that I participate in this challenge hosted by Katie’s Book Blog and Reading Angel.

You can sign up at either blog: KBB/RA. Here are the rules:

“Levels:
Level 1: 5+ books
Level 2: 10+ books
Level 3: 15+ books

Rules:
You can read any contemporary YA novel that is published between January 1, 2012 and December 30, 2012 but you must read them in 2012! (All formats accepted: paperback, ARC, e-book)

Books included:
We have created a spreadsheet (organized by release date) for contemporary YA books published in 2012. If there is a book that is not on the spreadsheet that you know fits the guidelines, let us know and we will add it.  There is also a Goodreads list.  You can use either one.  Currently the spreadsheet has more books on it.

Spreadsheet

Goodreads list

Authors:
If you have a contemporary YA book coming out in 2012 we would love it if you would participate. We would love it if you would be interested in donating swag/books or being featured here on Katie’s Book Blog or Reading Angel. If you are interested, fill out the form here! (You can also email me!)

Participants:
Anyone who has a blog or a Goodreads where they can post reviews is eligible to participate. 

Why you should participate:
Contemporary YA is an awesome genre. Isn’t that enough of a reason?
If not, there will also be giveaways throughout the year as well as one grand prize giveaway at the end of the year. Does that motivate you? =)

How to sign up:
Create a list on your blog or Goodreads with your list of books. You can create a list of books that you want to read or start a blank list and add the books as you read them. Once you have created your list come back here and add it to the linky below! Make sure that you post it on the same blog/Goodreads that you are going to post your reviews on throughout the year.

Sign-ups end May 1, 2012”

Im going to go in at Level 3 and for my list I’m going to put on the ones I’m definitely reading for CYA Month and then leave the rest blank. Here it is:

1.    The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Jennifer E. Smith

2.    The Fault in Our Stars, John Green

3.    Someone Else’s Life, Katie Dale   
4.  A Midsummer Tights Dream, Louise Rennison 
5. Kiss, Date, Love, Hate, Luisa Plaja 
6. Shooting Stars, Allison Rushby 
7. Wonder, RJ Palacio
8. Bunheads, Sophie Flack
9. When You Were Mine, Rebecca Serle
10. We'll Always Have Summer, Jenny Han
11. I'll Be There, Holly Goldberg Sloan
12. Dying to Know You, Aidan Chambers
13. How to Keep a Boy as a Pet, Diane Messidoro
14. New Girl, Paige Harbison
15. Graffiti Moon, Cath Crowley

COMPLETED 11th May 2012

16. Adorkable, Sarra Manning
17. Emma Hearts LA, Keris Stainton
18. Saving June, Hannah Harrington
19. Second Chance Summer, Morgan Matson
20. Heart-Shaped Bruise, Tanya Byrne
21. The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Emily M Danforth
22. Losing Lila, Sarah Alderson
23. Pushing the Limits, Katie McGarry
24. Love Story, Jennifer Echols
25. Torn, David Massey
26. Love at Second Sight, Cathy Hopkins
27. Why We Broke Up, Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman
28. How to Save a Life, Sara Zarr
29. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
30. Raw Blue, Kirsty Eagar
31. From What I Remember, Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas
    

Sophie

In My Mailbox 103

This meme was started by the fabulous Kristi who was inspired by Alea. Check out their blogs for more information. All summaries are from the book jackets.


For review:

Someone Else’s Life – Katie Dale

One secret can change everything

When Rosie Kenning’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s disease, her whole world falls apart. Not only does Rosie desperately miss her mum, but now she has to face the fact that she may have inherited the fatal disease herself. Until she discovers that Trudie wasn’t her biological mother at all...Rosie is stunned. Can this be true? Is she grieving for a mother who wasn’t even hers to lose? And if Trudie wasn’t her mother, who is?

But as Rosie delves into her past to discover who she really is, she is faced with a heart-breaking dilemma – to continue living a lie, or to reveal a truth that will shatter the lives of  everyone around her...

Thanks, S&S! This sounds fantastic and will be perfect for Contemp YA Month.

Bought:

Ten Things We Shouldn’t Have Done – Sarah Mlynowski

I was about to live a sixteen-year-old’s dream.

House on the beach.

No parents.

Parties whenever we wanted.

Boys whenever we wanted.

April and her best friend, Vi, are living by themselves. Of course, April’s parents don’t know that. It’s a little white lie that begins the ten things April and Vi shouldn’t have done – things that definitely make their lives a LOT more interesting!

From Skipping School (#3) and Throwing a Crazy Party  (#8) to Buying a Hot Tub (#4) and, um, Harbouring a Fugitive (#7), April’s story is hilarious, bittersweet – and not for the faint-hearted...

My official excuse for buying this – Contemporary YA Month, but really, I just really, really want to read it!

Sophie

The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight – Julie Kagawa

Pages: 361

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: 25^th October 2011

Other Titles in this Series: The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen

My name – my True Name – is Ashallayn’darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining  son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court.

And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl...

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own lovehad died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase – a half-human, half fey – smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery fell to to the Iron Fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of of archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Gremalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end – a quest to find a way to honour his vow to stand by meghan’s side.

To survive the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way  Ash learns something that chages everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

After the heart-in-your-throat ending of The Iron Queen, I was extremely relieved to discover that there would be one more book in The Iron Fey series and even more excited when I discovered it would be in the voice of one of my favourite characters: Ash.

As ever, Ash managed to astound me with his loyalty and dedication to Meghan and I would like my very own Ash for Christmas, please. The lengths he went to to get back to her which included defying his own nature, risking his life countless times and giving up something so very, very important to him was beyond romantic. He seemed so much more human and accessible in The Iron Knight but we also got glimpses of the true Winter Prince from before he met Meghan, which only made his quest even more incredible. I didn’t think I could love him anymore. I was wrong.

The only thing that I love more about this series than the beautiful Prince Ash is Julie Kagawa’s prose. She writes softly and poetically but still manages a serious emotional punch and a fantastically engaging plot. I’m literally in awe of this woman’s skill. Then she goes and uses human myth and legend to create the Nevernever and faery itself and I’m completely and utterly sold. The idea of existing only as long as you are talked about and remembered is actually quite terrifying and completely brilliant. I have to admit that I did kind of miss Meghan though which surprised me.

I have only two complaints about The Iron Knight and one of them has absolutely nothing to do with the actual story at all. I hate the deckle edging on the pages. While it looks all pretty and stuff I found it awkward to turn the pages quickly enough and it felt kind of odd. Though that is me being extremely petty, I know. My only other complaint is that there wasn’t nearly enough of Grim – I love that cat. In fact, I would happily read a whole spin-off series about the exploits of that particular cait sith. I really do love him.

I adore this whole series and I was so pleased to see Ash and Meghan get the happy ending they deserve. All that’s left to say is: bring on more of Julie Kagawa’s books!

Sophie