Book Review: Faithful (Janet Fox)

Sixteen-year-old Maggie Bennet’s life is in tatters. Her mother has disappeared, and is presumed dead. The next thing she knows, her father has dragged Maggie away from their elegant Newport home, off on some mad excursion to Yellowstone in Montana. Torn from the only life she’s ever known, away from her friends, from society, and verging on no prospects, Maggie is furious and devastated by her father’s betrayal. But when she arrives, she finds herself drawn to the frustratingly stubborn, handsome Tom Rowland, the son of a park geologist, and to the wild romantic beauty of Yellowstone itself. And as Tom and the promise of freedom capture Maggie’s heart, Maggie is forced to choose between who she is and who she wants to be.

In many ways, Faithful can be seen as a modern re-telling of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Both books are brought to life by heroines fighting - in their own way - against the manacles of the society of their time. Both books relay perfectly the struggle of these heroines and the extent of society's hold on them. It depicts the long road of their awakening. Both can be feminist and marxist texts, although debatable, of course. Faithful, however, is crafted more for the modern reader - for a young adult reader who has a penchant for classics, this book should not be missed.

I will be the first to admit I am one of those who have lived a sheltered life, but I know the thin line that defines that separates shelter and control. Margaret Bennet is on the other side of that line. Born within the high society of Newport in the late 1800s, Maggie's thoughts, actions and emotions are ruled by the confines of social etiquette. Her unconventional mother shames her in more ways than one - but her love and yearning for her is true. In her quest for answers, Maggie takes the reader with her back in time, immersed within the binds of her society. Maggie's narration is genuine, and with it is the ease in which I found myself understanding why and how she thinks, acts and feels like she does. The conflict between who she wants to be and who she has to be is clear in her words, and there is a real feel of entrapment in her decisions. She will earn your sympathy and admiration.

Secondary characters are worth mentioning too. As foils, they channel challenges to Maggie and invokes her to find herself amidst the chaos. Her father, who betrays and dictates her, can be seen as the epitomy of patriarchal society himself. Graybull is everything vile in that society, Mrs Gale what she can be, and Tom - Tom represents what Maggie can have if she chooses to be herself. He also represents what she will not have - riches, social standing - when she does. There are twists surrounding the characters, some will annoy, while some will clearly delight. Together, they pave way for Maggie's battle to find who she really is.

The narrative is outlined with a lot of connecting flashbacks cut to make readers wonder and thus highlighting the mystery of the disappearance of Maggie's mother. It is however, the setting that stands out in this book. It is so well described it takes your breath away. There is a huge emphasis on the beauty and importance of the landscape, as well as respect for nature. The dangerous and exhilarating feel of the wild is well described in the text; I myself wished to see Yellowstone after all I have read. For Maggie, Yellowstone is the picture of freedom - like nature, she desires to be unbidden. What more can be perfect to represent nature than Yellowstone itself?

The romance is not very integral to the plot - it is a tool used to depict Maggie's growth. Although of course, ever the romantic, I relished in the pure, innocent, 19th century (and unconventional) courtship that Tom and Maggie shared, including all the baggage that came with it.

Ultimately, Faithful is the tale of a young girl who journeys - both literal and metaphorical - far and wide to find herself and become what she wants to be, not what she has to be. It is a tale of finding love, loss and freedom.

Four Stars.


* Book received from UK Book Tours.

In My Mailbox (11)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren.

Hello! My name is Hanna and I'm going to do our IMM this week!

* For Review

101 Things to Do to Become a Superhero (Richard Horne and Helen Szirtes)

The Comic Strip Greatest Greek Myths (Sally Kinderb and Tracey Turner)

Personal Demons (Lisa Desrochers)

The Lonely Hearts Club (Elizabeth Eulberg)

* Bought

The D.U.F.F. (Kody Keplinger)

* From Read it Swap it

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Patrick Ness)

* Gifts

Swags from Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking!

Phew, it's very tiring to do this IMM!

Thank you to Bookbabblers and UK Book Tours for the review books, and of course to Lynsey for the swags! You're so sweet!

I'm going back to the telly now, have a good weekdays everyone! Everyone in the UK don't forget to watch 300 on Five later at 9pm!

Book Review: Dragonfly (Julia Golding)

Princess Taoshira is appalled when she is ordered to marry Prince Ramil ac Burinholt in order to unite their lands. And he's not too pleased either. They hate each other on sight.

So when she and Ramil are kidnapped, they fear there's no escape - either from their kidnappers or from each other.

Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive ambush, unarmed combat, brainwashing and imprisonment? And will the people they meet on their adventure - including a circus strongman, a daring rebel leader, a sinister master of spies and the best female fighter they have ever seen - help them or betray them to the enemy...?

The one word for Dragonfly is loveable. It's a book with amazing characters, a really cool adventure and of course, cute romance! It's also full of fun, laughter and imagination.

Dragonfly is full of funny and good as well as cruel characters. My favourites are (of course) Taoshira and Ramil because their relationship is a love-hate friendship turned romance. They hate each other at first sight and some of their actions to each other are full of humour. Ramil is described as and 'uncouth' boy while Taoshira is very formal and well mannered. Their personalities do not match at all, and because of that, every moment is sweet and totally cute!

Some characters cruel, like the kidnappers to took Ramil and Taoshira. I think that some of you will like most of the good characters in this book because they have very interesting personalities, but will get really annoyed with the cruel ones. They irritated me!

The setting is great! Out of this world but very fresh. It is full of imagination and it is a great place for a journey. I love the idea of uniting two kingdoms agreeing to form an alliance by marrying their prince and princess. It is a good way for uncouth Ramil and formal Taoshira to meet! When they met and hated each other at first sight, I just loved both of their expressions. Their journey together was a great adventure and full of surprises along the way. For me it felt like their world was real and I was with them all along.

The book cover was okay. Though I did not clearly understand the cover, I liked the story (that's what matters right?). I definitely enjoyed the book!

I would love it to have a sequel. I most definitely do! There's another book in the series, The Glass Swallow, but it focuses on different characters and is set in the future. I can't wait to read it! Dragonfly is a wonderful book and I want to read more about Ramil and Taoshira and their adventures together.

Four stars!

Book Review: Nevermore (Kelly Creagh)

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

Nevermore is one of my most eagerly awaited debut novels of 2010. Quite rightly so - lengthy as it is, I could not put it down. Whenever I take a break to rest my eyes, I cannot get it off my mind and my hands itch to feel the book again. Nevermore's haunting quality hooked me right into Isobel and Varen's world from page one so thoroughly, I still struggle to free it from my consciousness. The book demands to be read in one sitting, folks!

If I were to use one word to describe Nevermore, I'd go for haunting. Although part romance, this book leans more towards horror and mystery. Ingrained within the plot is the prominent figure of Edgar Allan Poe - and reflective of his works, Nevermore is just as dark and as fascinating. Knowing more about the poet would better your reading experience, but regardless, it is hard to resist this compelling book. It is superbly written, descriptive and genuine to its characters. The feel of the narrative is dark but smooth, fluid and completely captivating. Nevermore will drag you into its depths as easy as Poe's works - it's complex, it's twisted, but worth every word. It will have you turning pages well into the night, and leave your imagination running!

Everything begins when Isobel finds herself paired with Varen for an English project. Goth and poetic, and definitely outside of Isobel's crew, Varen finds himself threatened and bullied by Isobel's boyfriend, Brad. Isobel's defence of Varen and her subsequent distance from her crew endeared me to her. Her choice is not to stand by Varen because she is attracted to him, but because she knows her friends are acting wrongly - I liked that best about her. Her actions carry an air of realism and I never had a moment of doubt and dislike for Isobel. Varen is unlike many guys - he wears eyeliners, has lip piercing, he loses himself in the darkness of words, and is distant. He is complex, broken and... hot. It's a classic mismatch, but cheerleader Isobel is undeniably perfect for the Goth Varen. Their chemistry is one of the best I've read in YA romance.

Unlike what you might expect, Varen's and Isobel's relationship is chaste, appropriate, and is strictly within the safety of friendship - but, and it's a humongous, colossal, gargantuan BUT, the air whenever these two are together sizzles. The romantic tension between them is evident in every word, in every touch, in every searing gaze. The lack of physical interaction only intensifies the need for one, and shoot me if I was not scrambling for more Var-obel moments! Only the necessity to understand Varen more prevented me from swooning!

Isobel's difficulty at figuring out Varen's emotions is one of the most compelling parts of the plot. Although written in the third person, the readers are taken into Varen's world through the eyes of Isabel, and only through that. As a result, you only get to know what Isabel knows - a lot of suspicion arises from it and the continuous mysteries and revelations as more about Varen is uncovered is a brilliant rush. With secondary characters that will have you grinning and laughing to frowning and yelling, rest assured you'll enjoy every bit of Nevermore!

I was in tatters by the ending, and it will be a slow, painful torture to wait for the next book. Fantastic first book in a trilogy (thank God!) - and horror fanatic or not, Edgar Allan Poe lover or otherwise, read.this.book.!

Five Stars!

ANGEL Blog Tour + An iPhone exclusive novel!

It's just over a week to go until the release of L.A. Weatherly's ANGEL and beginning tomorrow, Usborne and my fellow bloggers are hosting a Blog Tour. Come and join us for Angel extracts, interviews with the author, competitions and so much more!

Don't forget to check us out here at Girls Without a Bookshelf on release day, 1st October, to find out more about the London-based treasure hunt!

You can find out more about the blog tour on the poster below:

And help us spread the word by posting the banner too!

iPhone Exclusive Novel by Dianna Ilinca!

To celebrate the coming publication of her debut book, Zirconya: The Sage of Aluh'Nehn next Spring, debut author Diana Ilinca has created a companion novel, Nahtaia, only available on mobile devices!

Check out the blurb and the link below: 

Nahtaia is a feisty faery with a temper and knack to drive people crazy. She also has an unusual power and can transform herself into a human. Even under the watchful eye of fellow faery Oren, Nahtaia transforms herself into a human, where she meets Kale, a sweet human who doesn't know what he's getting into when he falls for Nahtaia.

The story can be found on Wattpad's eReader app under "Featured" or online at http://www.wattpad.com/568899-wattpad-exclusive-nahtaia-a-faery%27s-tale

Read "Nahtaia"on your mobile device and join Diana for discussions, ask questions, and get insight into how original novels are written, edited and published on her website, http://dianailinca.com/.

Have fun reading!

Book Review: The Abduction of Julia (Karen Hawkins)

What can a respectable Regency miss do when kidnapped by a nobleman intent on marriage? Why, marry him, of course.

Julia Frant has secretly loved Alec MacLean, the wild Viscount Hunterston from afar. So when he accidentally snatches her instead of her lovely, scheming cousin for an elopement to Gretna Green, Julia leaps at the chance to make her passionate dreams come true.

Alec's in no position to quibble: if he doesn't marry by midnight and live scandal-free for a year, he loses his inheritance. At least marriage with do-gooder Julia will guarantee his fortune. But as his plain brown wren transforms herself into an elegant swan, Alec suddenly can't stay away from his last-minute wife---and when he kisses her, the inheritance is the last thing on his mind. Unfortunately, scandal can occur from the best of intentions...and Julia is never short of good intentions!

I used to shun Regency romance novels, preferring instead highland and medieval romances, but Karen Hawkin's The Abduction of Julia is a really good book that I think reading it might have led me to warm up to the sub-genre. It seems it only occured to me that the rigid etiquette of the ton and the double standards of their actions, not to mention the innumerable marriages of conveniences sets the scene for an endless array of hilarity and romance!

A marriage of convenience is exactly what ties Julia Frant and Viscount Alec Maclean to each other. Bound to a vow to his late grandfather, Alec finds himself eloping with and agreeing to marry Therese Frant, daughter of the Earl of Covington. To prevent his inheritance from going to the hands of his cousin Nick, he fulfills the demands in the will of his grandfather. Unfortunately, instead of Therese he finds his carriage carrying her cousin, the overprotective chaperone otherwise known as The Frant Dragon. Plain and spectacled, Julia does not catch his attention, until he finds that she was, once upon a time, the daughter of the other Earl of Covington. Hence begins the marriage and their attempts to engage with the ton and avoid scandals... not.

Not only have I warmed up to regency romances with this book, I appear to have also developed a penchant for regency romance revolving around marriage of conveniences! There is something absolutely delightful about regency wives and husbands fluttering about hiding their feelings for their loved ones, and I found that in The Abduction of Julia! I must say, the characters are every bit as loveable as the plot. Alec and Julia are both oblivious to each other's feelings, resulting in very comical but very romantic misunderstandings, which they make up for with some memorable scenes. I love Julia's transformation from plain to beautiful - it's highlighted, but not in a way which leads the readers to think that Alec's attraction it dependent on her beauty. It is clear from the start that it is her fiesty and compassionate attitude that pulled her to him. Alec can be insistent, insensitive and impulsive at times, but he carries the emotion in this book - quite a lovely character! The secondary characters deserve an applaud too, because they are a very entertaining bunch, from Edmund the excessive chatterbox to Burroughs, the old butler who never falters to bring Alex his warm glass of milk every night!

Despite the lovely characters and the fun plot, I found several loopholes in The Abduction of Julia. Firstly, there was a lack of detail surrounding the ton - I am fascinated by the ways of society and while I thought the book would focus a bit on it, it only passes over the detail very fleetingly. Secondly, the climax was not very thrilling, as it plays safe and stays on the romantic side. Finally, the ending is unsatisfactory and I did not feel that there was a resolution. Such a shame for a novel so fun!

Nevertheless, The Abduction of Julia is a wonderful indulgence in regency romance. Romance lovers would love this!

Four Stars!


* Copy received for review. Thanks Mel!

Book Review: Scarlett Dedd (Cathy Brett)

You're dead Scarlett...Previously a poor taste jibe from school frenemies, now a statement of fact. Scarlett is absolutely mortified (in more ways than one) to discover that she's accidentally killed herself while trying to get out of a school trip. Even worse, she's taken her entire family with her. Life as a ghost is pretty dull - if only some of her friends were dead too...

Cathy Brett's Scarlett Dedd is the first graphic novel I've read in years. I do not have a lot to compare Scarlett Dedd to, but even for a non art enthusiast, I was blown away by the illustrations in this book - so brilliantly done! It's very detailed, very vivid and so real to life. I can look at them over and over again and never tire.

Scarlett Dedd is not only one of the best illustrated novels I've ever come across, it's also one of the funniest. Scarlett, our protagonist, dies in the stupidest (her words, not mine!) way, and or the most pathetic of reasons - you have to read the book to discover how, as doing so is one of the fun things about this book. Scarlett Dedd feels like an interactive novel, as I was always looking forward to the next illustration and find myself examining all the details and matching it with the text when I do. I also hugely enjoyed the conversations in this book - they are genuinely british, what with the British slangs. I absolutely love it!

I'll have you know that I probably damaged my guts laughing my head off at all Scarlett's antics. She's such a fresh, vivacious and infectious character, I wanted to pull her pictures off the page and bring her to life. She's determined and resilient, albeit a little misguided. Her naivety sometimes grated at my nerves, but this book shows an in depth character development and maturity, in which Scarlett discovers the thin line between right and wrong, her own strength and weakness and ultimately her place in life (afterlife?). The supporting characters are just as fun. Teens and adults alike are just as mischievous and entertaining as Scarlett.

There appears to be a lack of emotions from the secondary characters though -interestingly, apart from Psycho (lol!), who both fancies and is fancied by Scarlett, her friends seem to find it fascinating that she's dead rather than mourn her death the traditional way. That, and the way they used Scarlett's haunting as a means to popularity rather than to communicate with Scarlett, are one of their traits that I disliked but nevertheless enjoyed. There was little tension in the book and I was not particularly drawn to the climax, but I found myself giggling with fun anyway - there's a huge potential for a sequel for more of Scarlett's ghostly adventures, and it would be quite fun to accompany the Dedds on another fun-filled episode!

Three Stars.


* Thanks Sam from Headline for my copy!


Want to know more about Scarlett? Or perhaps you need an advice from the afterlife? Visit her blog and say Hi! - www.scardeparted.blogspot.com 

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.
Today's pick is a dystopian book that somehow rings a bell...

THE UNIDENTIFIED (Rae Mariz)

Fifteen-year-old Katey (aka Kid) goes to school in the Game—a mall converted into a “school” run by corporate sponsors. As the students play their way through the levels, they are also creating products and being used for market research by the sponsors, who are watching them 24/7 on video cameras.


Kid has a vague sense of unease but doesn’t question this existence until one day she witnesses a shocking anticorporate prank. She follows the clues to uncover the identities of the people behind it and discovers an anonymous group that calls itself the Unidentified. Intrigued by their counterculture ideas and enigmatic leader, Kid is drawn into the group. But when the Unidentified’s pranks and even Kid’s own identity are co-opted by the sponsors, Kid decides to do something bigger—something that could change the Game forever.

To be published 5 October by Balzer + Bray.

What do you think? It does ring a bell, right? I'm only just beginning to appreciate dystopian novels, so boy am I excited for this title. And I love female heroines in dystopian novels best - so there we go!
What are you waiting for this week? :)

In My Mailbox (10)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren.
Here's what we got this week!

* Bought

Nevermore (Kelly Creagh) - bloody awesome.

* Gifts

Losing Faith Swags from  Kristy @ The Overflowing Library - thanks love!

A finished copy of Angel (L.A. Weatherly) from Usborne Publishing - whoohoo!

How cool is it to be quoted on one of your favourite books? I am beyond thrilled! 

Ryan @ Empire of Books is also quoted, see? We're quite a happy bunch :)
Have a fab week everyone!

The Birthday Giveaway winners!

A huge thank you all for participating, for spreading the word and for the general excitement for The Sequels giveaway. It's been a pleasure to host it and I wish I could name you all winners!

Fortunately, the majority chose to have seven winners, so here are the seven names of the soon-to-be-owners of one of the listed prizes! After the momumental task of checking, verifying, re-adding your entries and deleting the doubles (grrr), the 7 lucky entries out of more than 1,300 are, in order:

#816

Jacky P. 

#1319

Alexis R.

#1148

Samantha D.

#34

Chloe A.

#417

Martha L.

#732

Jamie V.

#619

Cassandra C.

Congratulations! You shall be e-mailed shortly for your preference. Don't forget to reply within 48 hours, otherwise I will draw another winner in your place. Prizes claimed. Congrats winners!

To everyone else, better luck next time! Don't forget to enter my The Ghost and the Goth giveaway (link on top left corner) for another chance to win a really really good book :)

Author Interview: Stacey Kade + Giveaway!

I love The Ghost and the Goth. I do, I do!
Today I have the fabulous Stacey Kade, author of The Ghost and the Goth, for an interview!

Welcome Stacey!

1. In terms of writing, are you a plunger or a planner?

Interesting! I've never heard the term plunger before, but I'm pretty sure that's what I am. :) I don't like to plan too much advance. When I'm writing, I prefer it to be similar to the experience of reading, where I don't know what's going to happen next exactly. :) Of course, these days, with deadlines, I have to do a little more planning. But left to my own devices, I would probably only figure out the end of a story when I came to it!

2. How did you come up with the title for The Ghost and the Goth?

You know, I'm not really sure. When I'm writing, if I don't have a title pretty near the beginning, I've always got some part of my brain thinking about possibilities. With The Ghost and the Goth, what I liked about it was that Will and Alona might be called those things (a goth, a ghost) by people who didn't know them. But, in fact, they don't see themselves that way. So, it sort of fit with the whole theme of people judging by what they see on the outside without knowing what's really going on inside. :)

3. How do you choose your character names?

It kind of depends. Sometimes I name them. Sometimes they show up with a name! :) I knew Will's last name was Killian from the beginning and that people might call him by that sometimes. Figuring out his first name was a little harder. Sometimes names sound okay spoken aloud, but when you put them on the page, they don't look right.

Alona is named for the fabulous actress Alona Tal. Plus, it just sounded like who she was. She *sounds* like an Alona, to me.

I use baby name books and websites for inspiration, usually searching by meaning first.

4. Which character was more difficult for you to write, Will or Alona?

Alona, actually. Don't get me wrong--she's fun to write and there's nothing like hearing her nasty/funny comments come rolling through my head. :) But Will's experience in high school was more like mine. Not that I can see ghosts or anything, but I certainly wasn't Homecoming Queen, either!

5. The Ghost and the Goth has a motif of High school hierarchy. Was this based on a personal experience?

I was frequently the "new kid" in school and shy, so observing and trying to figure out how the system worked was the only way I knew how to survive. :) I did move to a new school in the middle of 8th grade and therefore started high school only knowing a few people. And there was definitely a hierarchy, though perhaps not one quite as strictly defined as the one at Will and Alona's high school. We did have a cafetorium, though! And where you sat said a lot about who you were--or who people thought you were.

6. Who/What is your greatest inspiration?

I just love the experience of meeting new characters. I never know who is going to show up or what they're going to be like, and they continually delight and surprise me. And that, I think, is the best inspiration and motivation for telling stories! :)

7. What is by far the greatest advice given to you?

Write a crappy first draft. It's from the book Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. If you focus too much on trying to make something perfect, it'll never get written and you'll drive yourself crazy. Better to write a crappy first draft and know that you can fix it.

8. Book you wish you wrote? Why?

Oh, boy. I admire many, many books and authors, and I love learning from them. But I think the joy of doing this is getting to see a story you tell yourself in your head come to life. So, I'm not sure the experience would be the same because many of the books I love and admire, I NEVER would have come up with myself! :)

9. Have you any ghostly encounter at all?

Not really, and what most people find strange is that I don't really want to! :) They say we write about things that scare and fascinate us, and I'd say that's true. I love thinking about ghosts, the afterlife, all of that. I would prefer, though, never to see a spirit personally. I'd probably faint!

10. What can we expect from the sequel, Queen of the Dead?

More trouble for Will and Alona, more bickering, more kissing...
Specifically, there is a new person in town who is likely going to cause some strife between them.

11. And, if it isn't too much, can I also ask if Alona can change clothes in the afterlife? I'm sure she hates being stuck in Gym clothes and seriously, this question has been intriguing me! :D

Ha, yes, she TOTALLY hates it. As far as I know, spirits of people who died violently and/or suddenly are generally stuck in the clothes they died in. However...well, I can't say more without spoiling, so I'm going to have to let that go for now! :)

Thank you, Dwayne, for having me here today!

You're very welcome Stacey! Thanks you for being such a star! I cannot wait for Queen of the Dead. I already miss Alona and Will's antics! :)

Visit Stacey's webpage at www.staceykade.com and don't forget to follow her on twitter @StaceyKade.

Haven't read The Ghost and the Goth yet? Lucky for you, I'm giving one away! Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win one brand spanking new copy of this ultra fabulous title!

Rules.

• Open to wherever Book Depository ships. 
• You do not have to be a follower to enter - but of course, extra entries to my lovely followers!
• Deadline for entries will be on 30th September, 12MN BST.
• Winners will be drawn by random.org
• Winners will be contacted via e-mail, and will be given 48 hours to response. Otherwise, a new winner will be drawn.
• Any details will be deleted after use and will not be passed on to any third party.

P.S. The winners for my The Sequels Giveaway will be announced later tonight. Check back to see if you've won! G'luck! :)

Book Review: Finding Sky (Joss Stirling)

When Sky catches a glimpse of Zed for the first time, lounging against his motorbike at school, she is drawn to him just like every other girl in Wickenridge. But Zed sees something special in her that the other girls don't have. Zed tells her they are both Savants - people with special powers like telepathy and the ability to see into the future. Not only that, she is a Savant too, and his soulfinder - meant to be together. 

When a soulfinder speaks telepathically to her partner, it's like all the lights coming on in a building. You lit me up like Vegas. But for Sky it's just not that easy - she's a mystery to herself, haunted by nightmares from her past before she was adopted, and riddled with doubt and insecurity. Just when Sky is slowly coming round to the idea of being with Zed she is kidnapped by a family of criminal Savants. In a chilling twist, Sky and Zed's relationship is put to the ultimate test and the fate of those she loves lie in Sky's hands. Will Sky have the strength to embrace her power and be brave enough to control her own destiny, or will the dark demons of her past prevent her from realising her true potential?

Ladies and gentlemen, you'd want to read this book. You ladies will sigh and swoon over and enjoy the romance between soulfinders - and the gents can note down a few pointers from the Benedict boys. I was yearning for good YA romance novel when I started Finding Sky and I got exactly what I needed. It was the cure to and signalled the end of my reading break!

When I mention 'good YA romance', I'd like to emphasise on 'good'. I don't favour romances without substance and am often critical of those whose transition from attraction to love is lightning quick - Finding Sky is neither of those. Although primarily a book about soulmates, you won't find the characters falling head over heels in love in the span of a few pages. The romance isn't sappy or boring, nor plain or forgettable. It highlights the most important aspects of romance in a way that is real and tangible to every reader - trust, comfort, acceptance. The romantic tension arrives in a different form; I welcomed the break from the usual and the stereo-typical.

The narrator, Sky Bright, is one of the few characters I can personally relate to. Joss Stirling has captured exactly how it feels to move out of your comfort zone; believe me, I have been there myself. Her descriptions of Sky's thought and emotional process is spot on, never straying or exaggerating from just the precise feeling or thought. The author's description of trauma is vivid, real and true. Without the jargon to weigh it down, it is portrayed in a way that is accessible to every reader. Interestingly, the themes and motifs of this book is channelled through Sky, so in that sense she is very diverse character indeed. Of course, a special girl needs a special boy - enter Zed Benedict. Zed is a peculiar boy - he is broody, mysterious and a bad boy at the beginning. But as the book progresses and the reader unravels what it is that makes Zed so mysterious, we see a complete change in him. This turnaround underscores the concept of a soulfinder and results in a courtship between him and Sky -a courtship so romantic it easily surpasses many YA romance books out there.

Finding Sky is written impeccably well. The literary devices - particularly the metaphors and similes - used are fresh and brilliant. The contrast between the British usage and American usage of English words and phrases are also distinct and well-highlighted. Towards the end, it falters, but it can be explained through Sky's adaptation of the American usage, given that she is in fact already across the pond.

I have minor complaints - for instance, the tension in the plot is present but could be stronger. There are also quite a few sub plots I wanted to be explored further (not to mention a few more kisses between Sky and Zed), but I am hoping for a sequel because although it ends neatly, I am not quite ready to let it go!

With an emotional and psychological edge to a very interesting concept of meeting one's soul mate, this romantic debut will delight many of you readers out there.

Four Stars!


* Copy received for review. Thanks to Liz and Oxford University Publishing.