Review // The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson

Published - 29th September 2011
Published By - HarperCollins
Format - Paperback 
Goodreads Synopsis - "New York Times" bestseller Maureen Johnson takes on Jack the Ripper in this captivating paranormal thriller
The day that Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school is also the day a series of brutal murders breaks out over the city, killings mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper spree of more than a century ago. Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him--the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target. In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

I found Maureen Johnson through nerdfighteria and John Green so I knew that this book was going to be right up my street. I had no preconceived ideas of Johnson's writing styles as this is the first book by her that I have read (with the exception of a short story in Let it Snow). I'm pleased to say that The Name of the Star gets a big thumbs up from me!


I was pulled in instantly as the POV comes from the main character, Rory, and she was just so likeable from the start. In fact, all of the characters were well written, new, sassy and had their own personalities rather than just being back burner characters.


There were a lot of twists throughout, too. I'm usually quite good at guessing where a story is going to go but surprisingly enough, I was wrong more than once! I loved that Rory's 'abilities' as the blurb says, come from a simple incident that I at least, paid little attention to and thought nothing of it. Definitely one of the best bits for me. 


I am so looking forward to the next Shades of London book from Johnson, especially after that shocking revelation at the end! Recommended.

Review // The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

Published - 18th December 2007
Published By - Ballantine Books
Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years. Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!

LOVED this book! The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has been on my to-read list for a long time now and recently I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the 'trilogy' of five for my kindle, thanks to a friend. Because i'd waited so long to actually read it, I was worried that my expectations would be too high, but there was no need.


From the first few pages, Adams had me laughing out loud and I immediately fell in love with Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect. The interaction between them was pure genius and it just got better as the book progressed.




Originally, I had planned to read these books physically  and not electronically, but after the description of the Hitchhiker's Guide, I felt more happier about it and it added to the experience in a way that would be hard to explain! The concept of this book and (with little spoilers) the events involving the mice and computers especially were brilliant. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fun read with fantastic characters and an absolute crazy plot!

Review // Fifty Shades of Grey - E.L. James

Published - 26th May 2011
Published By -Vintage
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis - When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time. he unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Where do I start with this book? Fifty Shades of Grey was given to me by my sister-in-law who insisted I should read it as she really enjoyed it. I didn't enjoy it. At all.


I knew what the book was about before going into it and although I wasn't interested, I hoped for an underlying story to emerge, maybe a fascinating love story between Ana and Christian. Unfortunately that just never came through. The only time E L James seemed to care about writing was during the sexual scenes. There was no character development; it barely felt like there even were characters. 


For a short period towards the end of the book, I held some hope in the fact that a plot might emerge regarding Christian's life but again, I was disappointed. I assume these things are revealed in the next two books but I was so put off by this one that it will be a long time before I consider moving on to those. I can't even recommend it for mind-numbing easy reading because I was so infuriated by the repetition of complete sentences throughout the book that it was actually challenging to finish. If I ever hear the words 'inner goddess' again, I can't be held responsible for my actions!


Please let me know what you thought about Fifty Shades of Grey, whether good or bad, and feel free to convince me to read the next one or it may never happen!

June Wrap-Up

Hello Readers!

June was disappointing reading wise as I was moving out of university and countless other things that cropped up. I only managed to read 2 books and I have posted reviews of them both so be sure to check!

Books Read in June

Slated - Teri Terry
Grave Sight - Charlaine Harris

As well as the two books I read, I am also still trying to finish The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and 50 Shades of Grey by E.L.James. I'm hoping to be done with them both this week so I can move on to my July TBR! Lots of catching up to do ;)

What books did you read in June?

Discussion // Finishing a read

Hey Readers!

Today's discussion comes from a problem that i've always had and i'm definitely having it now!

What to do when a book you're reading just doesn't interest you?

So i'm reading two books right now as highlighted in another post and one of them is just SO DIFFICULT for me to read. I'm not interested in the plot, the characterisation, the story-telling, anything! I can imagine that you're asking why am I still reading it then. The answer is simple: I don't know how to stop.

I have read and finished so many books that just haven't interested me purely because I feel the need to finish what i've started. Usually that's a good thing but in this case, it isn't. So i'm asking for your help!

What do you do when the book you're reading just isn't for you? Do you have any special tips you can give on how you bring yourself to put it down and walk away? Please leave comments and i'll post the best tips - should I get any! Until then, I best go and finish this book or my July TBR will never happen ;)

Book Haul

I've acquired a few books recently as gifts so I thought i'd share my haul with you :)

1. 50 Shades of Grey - E.L.James
2. 50 Shades Darker - E.L.James
3. 50 Shades Freed - E.L.James
4. The Radleys - Matt Haig
5. Dylan Thomas Poetry

As every reader knows, the 50 Shades Trilogy is taking over the sellers chart and honestly, it's not something i'm interested in. However, they were given to me as a gift and so i'm currently working my way through the first installment and I will be posting my review as soon as i'm done! Whether i'll get around to reading the other two books remains to be seen - we'll see what happens.

I haven't actually heard of The Radleys but again, it was given to me as a gift and the blurb sounds interesting so I will be sure to check out some reviews on Goodreads and no doubt i'll throw myself into it maybe next month.

The poetry of Dylan Thomas is my attempt at getting prepared for my next year at university and i'm looking forward to reading some! Probably wont review this one on here, but if anyone can recommend some specific poems of his that you enjoyed, i'll definitely look at them!

Happy reading :)

July TBR

Hey Readers!

I don't usually make TBR's because i'm indecisive and forever changing my mind about what books I want to read during the month. I usually just head to the book shelves and see what takes my fancy.
This month though i've been looking over at the books that I have and I feel bad for owning so many that I just haven't read yet! Doing a TBR should help get at least a few books off the ever growing list :)
So the books I plan to read in July are:

The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson
Demon Thief - Darren Shan
Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
Redemption in Indigo - Karen Lord

Let me know in the comments if you've read any of these and what you thought or if you plan to read them :)

Review // Grave Sight - Charlaine Harris

Published - 26th September 2006
Published By - Berkley
Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who's passed, and share their very last moment. The way Harper sees it, she's providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living - but she's used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Travelling with her step-brother Tolliver as manager and sometime-bodyguard, she's become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it's always urgent - even if the dead can wait forever.

As a fan of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books, I decided to give the Harper Connelly books a try. To cut to the chase - i'm not sure about it.


I had a lot of ups and downs whilst reading the first book in the series Grave Sight. It took me a while to get into the plot due to the lack of character development and no background history to either the characters personally or their lives in great detail. The relationship between Harper and Tolliver is never fully explained and it frustrated me a little. The book eventually picked up in the middle and I found myself excited when the action kicked off and my suspicious mind started analysing the characters for the answers I was looking for.


Unfortunately it didn't last too long. It became repetitive and rather than answering any questions it just raised more. The boring descriptions of Harper's time in motel rooms was unneccessary and I was disappointed with how the answer to the mystery was crammed into a few pages at the end when it could have been more elaborate and interesting.


That said, as a basic read, I did like it. I'm interested in seeing if Harper and Tolliver's characters are developed more and that there is a story involved regarding their sister Cameron. I think I will read the next books in the series but I won't be rushing to pick them up any time soon.

Review // Slated - Teri Terry

Published - 3rd May 2012
Published By - Orchard Books
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis - Kyla’s memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost for ever. She’s been Slated. The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

I spotted Slated in the local supermarket and was intrigued by the synopsis  so when it was bought for me, I couldn’t wait to get into it – and I really did!

Immediately what I liked about the book was that the world wasn’t explained straight away. It took quite a while to build a full idea of what Kyla’s world was like which fit perfectly with the topic of the book. I learned along with Kyla as she discovered what life was like. I particularly liked the references that I could identify with in today’s world such as mobile phones being banned due to rioting (London, anyone?) For me, Slated raised the question of what it means to be a criminal. Does a certain type of crime have to be committed? Or is a person a criminal just because someone doesn’t agree? 

Like many I’m sure, I’m interested in the terrorist group in Slated. I struggled with taking Kyla’s side to making up on my own mind. I still don’t really know if such a group are actually terrorists or whether they are in fact the good guys.

The characters in Slated were likeable (Kyla, Ben, Amy, Jazz etc..) and even more so when their personal stories were looked at a little more closely. I became attached to Kyla very quickly, and felt like I needed to protect her but at the same time I knew she was strong and capable of looking after herself. The less likeable characters in Slated (such as Phoebe) were also well written and I found myself struggling to dislike them even though their characterisation suggested I shouldn’t!

Dystopian literature is becoming more popular and some have even suggested that the popularity of dystopia means a lower class type of book but in my opinion this isn’t true, especially in the case of Slated. New topics are raised and it gave me a lot to think about. I’m excited for the release of the second book in 2013 as the ending of Slated had me shouting for more.

Review // The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff

Published - 21st September 2010
Published By - Simon & Schuster
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis- Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie comes from a world of tunnels and black, murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattoed princess. He is a replacement - left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago when it was stolen away by the fey. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. Mackie would give anything just to be normal, to live quietly amongst humans, practice his bass guitar and spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem, where he must face down the dark creatures and find his rightful place - in our world, or theirs.

I had been looking forward to reading The Replacement for a while as the synopsis caught my attention and it sounded excellent and different. When you read a lot, finding new topics is always interesting. However I was disappointed with this book. 


The story idea really was great but it didn't feel fully explored. The actual story felt rushed and not explained. The character development was also quite poor. Considering that Mackie is the main character, we never actually learn anything about him. The most interesting character for me was Tate but again, the reader never really learns anything about her, just her sister. 


If I remember rightly, this is Yovanoff's first novel and so I will keep an eye out for other works she may do in the future as I keep repeating, the idea behind The Replacement was wonderful. It is a quick read and easy read though if you're looking for something to just pick up and finish in a couple of hours and although the story didn't really seem to go anywhere, the writing wasn't really bad. I can't seem to find many other reviews on this book so if you've read it, i'd love to know what you think.