Review: Chocolate S.O.S by Sue Limb

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Paperback
Released: January 5th, 2012
Rating: 8/10


Amazon summary:

Jess has broken up with Fred, though really she is waiting for him to come to her door and beg to get back together again. But is that the sort of thing Fred would do? He has said himself that he has no backbone ...Meanwhile, a gorgeous boy has moved in next door and, to Jess's mingled horror and delight, is making it very, very obvious that he would like to be a lot closer than next door ...Surely, now, Fred will be driven, in a fit of jealousy, to sweep Jess back off her feet? Won't he?

Review:

Chocolate S.O.S is the latest instalment in Sue Limb's side-splittingly funny Jess Jordan series, and features more madness from all the characters I've grown to love. There's mad granny who's still obsessed with murder, Jess and Fred the wacky comedic duo and a new arrival who goes by the name of Luke. Obviously that can only spell trouble!

This book is a bit different to others in the series as Jess and Fred are (gasp!) no longer an item. Jess broke up with Fred after the disastrous events at a recent comedy performance, and so this book's dynamic has changed. Jess is single, still pining for Fred and Fred is quiet, reserved and gaining lots of attention from fellow female school students. Jess is obviously jealous, but starts hanging around with new boy Luke, who's also a bit mental in his own way. It's all change for Jess Jordan!

I liked this book a lot more than the last one, Five-Star Fiasco, as it was funnier. I like nothing more than YA books injected with humour, and that's exactly what I got here. Jess has a knack for finding herself in stupid, but funny, situations, and most of them end up causing trouble. Even when she tells a little white lie to help someone out, the whole thing backfires and she suddenly finds herself on the phone talking to a friend's mum and pretending to be her own mother! Honestly, you just couldn't make this stuff up.

I'm eagerly anticipating the next book in this series, titled Party Disaster. I'm hoping that a few things are resolved, though: I want Jess and Fred to get back together, I want Flora to stop being so self-centred and I want Jess's dad to get a new boyfriend. It's not much to ask really, is it?! As I've said before when talking about this series, it's absolutely perfect for readers of Louise Rennison and Carmen Reid. Each author should win some kind of comedy award for their contributions to YA girl's fiction, because their take on teen life is easily the most lighthearted. In these often dismal times, I think that's exactly what we need!

EXCLUSIVE: UK Cover Reveal - Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson!

Thanks to Simon & Schuster, I can exclusively present you with the ace new UK cover for Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson. I can't wait for this book to be published - I loved Morgan's debut novel!

It's published in the UK on June 7th, and here's what Morgan herself has to say about it:

I couldn’t be more excited about the Second Chance Summer cover! I love it so much, it’s been my phone background for the last two months. I think it perfectly captures the spirit of the novel, and like the Amy & Roger cover, there are lots of little details from the novel that show up in the art here. The cover just evokes the feeling of summer (and makes me really, really want a strawberry milkshake). I hope you like it too!

And here's the cover...





What do you think?

3 Year Blogoversary + UK Giveaway!

[Image from Google]

Today is my 3 year blog birthday! I started Wondrous Reads on January 17th 2009 after a random day at work bookselling at Borders, and I never imagined it would end up anything like it is today. I've met so many lovely people through blogging - fellow bloggers, readers, publicists, authors - and I'm so glad for whatever made me do it. I've also discovered some really amazing books, a giant handful of them thanks to my publisher friends, and it's definitely broadened my reading mind and made me try new authors and genres. Here's to another 3 years!

To celebrate, I have a pretty cool giveaway for all my friends in the UK. Sorry to those in the US and worldwide, but I'll hopefully have something for you guys soon. Postage is even more expensive these days!

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Here's all the details:

Courtesy of Simon & Schuster, I have a selection of new and upcoming titles to give away. They are:

• The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
• Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale
• Everneath by Brodi Ashton
• Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie
• Smoulder by Brenna Yovanoff
• Fated by Sarah Alderson

And courtesy of Orion/Indigo, I have chosen my 3 favourite books they've published from my 3 years of blogging, which are:

• The Raven Mysteries: Flood & Fang by Marcus Sedgwick
• Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
• My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

Rules & info:

• One (1) winner will win ALL the books!
  
• Open to UK residents only.
  
• End date: January 31st, 2012.
  
• One entry per person.
• You do NOT have to follow my blog to enter.
  
• Books will be sent out by the very kind publishers.

Fill in the form below to enter. Good luck, and thanks for reading my blog! :)

Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Format: Paperback
Released: January 5th, 2012
Rating: 6/10


Amazon summary:

It's 1996 and very few high school students have ever used the internet. Facebook will not be invented until several years in the future. Emma just got a computer and an America Online CD. She and her best friend Josh power it up and log on - and discover themselves on Facebook in 2011. Everybody wonders what they'll be like fifteen years in the future. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

Review:

I'd been looking forward to reading this book for months, ever since I first heard about what could only be described as an epic collaboration. While I liked it and read it super quick, I didn't love it like everyone else seems to. Something didn't quite sit right with me, and I think it comes down to the lack of explanation for why Facebook suddenly appears on Emma's new computer and how it's possible for Emma and Josh to change their futures so quickly and easily. I have no problem believing in time-travel and other such things, but here I think I needed more information to support it.

Of course, The Future of Us has many good, even excellent, aspects. The references to 1996 are almost all accurate (I don't think Leonardo DiCaprio would have been as popular as the writers make out, though - Romeo and Juliet wasn't even on anyone's radar then and he didn't hit it big until late 1997/early 1998!) and the dual narrative gets full marks from me. I do like alternating points of view, and it made this book move quickly and keep its momentum. I also liked the characters, especially Tyson and Josh. Emma got on my nerves after a while, always trying to change things and being blind to what was right in front of her. The males in the book definitely made this book for me, and I'm assuming Josh's chapters were written by Jay Asher, who is brilliant. I could be wrong, though!

The Future of Us made me think about the future and what I'd do if I could see into mine and even change things. Sometimes I think I'd love to know what will have happened by 2027, but then other times the idea freaks me out too much. I wouldn't want to know because I don't think I could change anything, and I'd live the next 15 years waiting for things, good or bad, to happen. All this is addressed in The Future of Us but, like I mentioned earlier, the ripple effects from the present that ultimately change the future weren't quite so believable. When it comes to time-travel and future-changing, I ALWAYS need a good explanation. But that's just me.

As a contemporary novel, The Future of Us is a quick, engrossing read. It's really about a journey of self-discovery and seizing the moment (that didn't work so well for Willow in Buffy, remember? Ha!), and in that respect it's a must-read for fans of the genre. It's an interesting, original concept that for me required more in-depth exploration into the why and how. It's still one to add to the to-be-read pile, though!

In My Mailbox #151: New Books This Week

In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren, and all links take you to Amazon. Click images for a bigger picture!

I received some really exciting books in the post this week! (And I'm quoted on the cover of Manic Days, which was an unexpected surprise!) I'm reading Under the Never Sky at the moment (it's getting better) and I'm still debating whether to read The Fault in Our Stars. I usually stay well away from its subject matter but I want to read this one. Can anyone tell me how sad it is?

Here's what was in my mailbox this week:

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For review:

• Talina in the Tower by Michelle Lovric

• The Boy Project by Kami Kinard (US ARC)
  

• Grave Dance by Kalayna Price

• The Dead Ways by Christopher Edge

• Spell Sisters: Sophia the Flame Sister by Amber Castle

• Spell Sisters: Lily the Forest Sister by Amber Castle

• The Angel at No. 33 by Polly Williams

• Pendragon Legacy: Sword of Light by Katherine Roberts

• India Dark by Kirsty Murray

• Poppy's Hero by Rachel Billington

• Lilah May's Manic Days by Vanessa Curtis

• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

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Bought:

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Happy reading!

15 Days Without a Head Blog Tour: Dave Cousins Guest Post!

15 Days Without a Head is a brilliant book about two brothers and how they deal with living on their own when their alcoholic mother leaves for over two weeks. I finished reading it yesterday and it's really good - so well written and the characters are realistic and down to earth. It's also quite funny too! It's available in the UK, and I would highly recommend it.

As part of the book's blog tour, Dave has written a guest post for me about his favourite books. For more information about him and his book, visit the following links:

www.davecousins.net
www.facebook.com/DaveCousinsAuthor
Twitter: @DaveCousins9000

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Dave’s Dozen Wondrous Reads!

Robert Westall – The Machine Gunners. My favourite book by my favourite author. I’ve been collecting and reading Robert Westall since I was eleven and he never disappoints. A supreme craftsman who knows how to tell a story!

Jan Mark – Thunder and Lightnings. I read this when I had just started a new school in a new town. Being able to share some of my experience and anxieties with Andrew in the book, made those first few weeks a little easier. It was the first time I realised that stories can provide companionship and sometimes help us through difficult times in our lives. This book made me want to write, and continues to influence the kind of stories I want to tell.

Keith Gray – Creepers. When I first read Creepers I thought it was the perfect story: simple, clever, surprising and cool. I realised this was how I wanted to write. I’ve read all of Keith Gray’s books and they’re all brilliant. To have his endorsement on the cover of my debut novel makes me grin every time I see it.

Tim Bowler – Storm Catchers. Another book that had a huge influence on my writing. My wife bought it for our eldest because it sounded good; he never got around to reading it, but I did. I thought it was so great, I emailed Tim Bowler to tell him. To my delight and amazement, Tim emailed back, offering advice and best wishes for my own writing career. The fact that we now share the same publisher is something of which I am very proud.

Robert Cormier – I am the Cheese. Cormier’s books are dark, taut and edgy. I have great admiration for his writing, and the fact that he never flinches from what are often brutal truths, handling difficult, sometimes shocking subjects, with heart and honesty, never for effect.

Bill Watterson – Calvin & Hobbes. It’s an over-used term, but Bill Watterson is actually a genius. Calvin and Hobbes is as near to perfection as it is possible to get. Funny, wise and heart-felt, Watterson’s strips are beautifully drawn stories featuring two of the best characters ever created. Reading a few pages of Calvin and Hobbes never fails to inspire, enlighten and put a smile on my face.

Lucy Christopher – Stolen. A masterclass in character, setting and suspense. This beautifully crafted book is surprising, disturbing and kept me thinking, long after I finished reading.

Louis Sachar – Holes. Another perfect book. The idea and execution are sublime. Anybody serious about writing should read this book – twice. The sequel Small Steps is also excellent as is The Cardturner, which made me want to take up Bridge!

Frank Cottrell Boyce – Framed. I learned a lot from this book. Frank Cottrell Boyce is the master of understatement. Funny without being cheap, and heart-breaking without resorting to melodrama. I was lucky enough to hear him speak recently and he’s a lovely fella too!

Roger McGough – Waving at Trains. I like poetry (and song lyrics) and am often in awe of writers who can capture the essence of a moment in a few words. I love the sound of McGough’s poems, the rhythm of the lines and the way he plays with language. He can be laugh-out-loud funny and brutally dark in the same verse, and always makes me think.

William Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet. (Not strictly speaking a book, and maybe too obvious to mention, but I wanted to anyway.) I’m not a huge aficionado of Shakespeare, but his writing has the ability to move me to tears and make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The plays were written to be performed, so I prefer watching a play, film adaptation, or listening to a sound recording, rather than reading the text. Baz Luhrmann’s film of Romeo and Juliet is brilliant. The contemporary setting shows how universal some of Shakespeare’s stories are. A great production of a superb, timeless story.

Charles Dickens – A Christmas Carol. I try to read this every Christmas and it always amazes me how modern it feels, despite the fact it was written nearly two hundred years ago. It encapsulates many of the things that Dickens was so good at: exquisite description and use of language; social commentary within the context of a great story; subtle humour, and some of the most memorable characters ever created. It’s also guaranteed to warm my humbug heart and spark the first flickering of festive feeling.

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Puffin
Format: Paperback
Released: January 5th, 2012
Rating: 8/10


Amazon summary:

Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation. Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

Review:

I'd heard lots of good things about Cinder before I read it: the general consensus was that it was a must-read. So I promptly forgot about my own aversion to fairytales and cracked open my pretty red copy of the book. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed! Cinder was unlike any fairytale retelling I've read before; it wasn't flowery and Disney-esque, instead it was dark and brutal. Now *that* is my kind of fairytale!

Cinder is a twist on the famous story of Cinderella. Cinder is a mechanic living in New Beijing in the future, years after a devastating war has taken place. She's part android, has two (not ugly) sisters and is basically considered to be the lowest of the low by most of her immediate family. New Beijing isn't everything it's cracked up to be, though. There's a virus called Letumosis sweeping the nation, and anyone infected will most likely die once it reaches Stage 4. There's no cure, no hope of an imminent antidote, until Cinder meets a helpful doctor, a prince called Kai and a queen who is up to no good. Things quickly spiral out of control and Cinder's life is changed beyond repair, especially when someone close to her is exposed to Letumosis...

My little plot summary there does not do this book justice. I've tried to describe its awesomeness, but it's difficult - there's so much going on and the book moves at breakneck speed. Cinder kicks ass, the romantic elements are subtle but strong and the world Meyer has created is beyond cool. Just like the back of the book says, this is a fairytale but not as you know it!

I have very little to add in the way of criticisms when talking about Cinder. My only complaint would be that I think it's a bit long - I got 350 pages in and there was *still* lots more to come! Oh, and I guessed a major plot twist very early on in the book. That doesn't usually happen to me, so either this was a one-off or I'm finally starting to think ahead when I read. Either way, I wasn't surprised when I reached the end, and I think the shock was a bit lost on me because of that.

Cinder is such a brilliant debut novel, exciting and fresh and totally unexpected. The way everything unfolds is clever, and the parallels with Cinderella are fun to spot. There are three more books coming in this Lunar Chronicles series, each centred around three other female fairytale heroes, and OMG I cannot wait to read them. If they're anything like Cinder, we are in for a real literary treat.