Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt

MY RATING: 3/5

BLURB: 

What happens when you fall for the perfect guy . . . twice . . . in one day? 

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance. 

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once. 

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus. 

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with. 

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies . . . and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes. 

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes slip between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about without juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once. 

She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the others? 

REVIEW: 

Whoa. That was a long blurb :/ Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. I devoured two thirds of it in one night when I should have been studying and finished it the next day. I know a lot of people are really against them, but I really enjoy love triangles if they are done well. I mean I know that everyone says that they are repetitive because it’s all the same, but I whole heartedly agree with what Cassandra Clare (Author of The Mortal Instruments series) said on the topic of the love triangle in her series The Infernal Devices:

“Every plot under the sun (female lead falls for male lead, female lead falls for male lead’s best friend, female lead falls for own best friend after realizing suddenly she has loved him these many years, female lead falls for archenemy of male lead, female lead falls for dude who turns out to be gay) had been done a thousand times. It is the manner in which it is done that makes it interesting.”

Double Clutch is a story about a girl named Brenna who has just come back from being home schooled in Denmark. On her first day back Brenna meets two guys who instantly spark her interest. Saxon Maclean, who is hot, and a real arse-hole but in an oddly attractive way (to me at least). Then there's Jake Kelly, who is just about the complete opposite of Saxon, shy and humble, but also haunted by a secret from his past. 

I think one of the things that I enjoyed most about this book was the characters. It was the characters that kept tempting me to abandon my studying and read another chapter. They were also very realistic and relatable. I love Brenna. She is strong and smart and not afraid to bite back, I like that in a girl. She knows what she wants and she tries her best to get it. Sometimes it seems like a lot of female protagonists in books are all very fragile and weak and rely on their male interests more than what I like to read about. 

When I started the book I liked Saxon right away. But, I also really liked Jake by the end of the book, at first I thought he would be the perfect guy of the story, and too perfect people always bug me, it's the flaws that make people beautiful and interesting. But Jake was definitely an interesting character. He isn't that well off in life, he lives in a shabby house, and has just enough to scrape by. It's a little heart breaking, and makes you love him more and want him to get the girl in the end because he deserves it. Saxon takes joy in angering Brenna and refuses to face up to what he really feels for her. I liked that Jake had a sad back story, it was cute to me, and it gave him more character. But I think I am definitely more for Saxon getting the girl. 

This book just sucked me in. The relationships are realistic, Brenna doesn’t all of a sudden get distracted from her grades and other important things just because she has a boyfriend. There is some sexual content so I would not recommend to younger readers (maybe about 15 or 16+). I really want to get my hands on Junk Miles the second book in this series. I definitely enjoyed this book and would like to thank Missy at Missy Reads and Reviews and Liz for the opportunity to read this book and be a part of this blog tour :)

Jammie the Book Nerd

xxoo

p.s. For the tour details and all of the other stops on the blog tour visit Missy's blog tour post. 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone!! 

It's that time of year again. I know Halloween is as widely celebrated here as it is in the US. But i personally love it. House is all done up and little lollie bags made up. We're ready to go :D Have a great Halloween! 

The Black Hand Ball :D

Hey guys! 

In December this year Becca Fitzpatrick, author of the Hush Hush series, will be coming to Brisbane! Where I live! And I am super excited :D 

My ticket came in the mail about a week ago. So, anyway. Back to the point. I want to do a giveaway of a signed copy of one of Becca's books. The giveaway will have to be Australia only, I do apologise I just can't afford the shipping costs. I was just wondering if I should give away a copy of her first book, or the latest book? What do you think? 

Thanks :) 

Jammie the Book Nerd 

xxoo

My Book Boyfriend #2: Patch Cipriano

My book Boyfriend is a Weekly Meme that is hosted by Missie over at The Unread Reader, where bloggers get together and post all about their literary crush of the week :) Including stats and quotes from or about him that you love. If you're interested check out the intro post at The Unread Reader. 

Sorry that I haven't posted much lately, and that I haven't done any more book boyfriend's since my first one. Been really busy with my studies at the moment. 

PATCH FROM HUSH HUSH SERIES

STATS: 
Nora describes Patch with "Long, lean muscles down his arms, broad but relaxed shoulders, and a smile that was part playful, part seductive." 

Patch has black eyes and black hair. "He was a dark-Levi's-dark-henley-dark-boots kind of guy."

QUOTES: 
"You smell good too," said Patch. 
"It's called a shower. . . Soap. Shampoo. Hot water." 
"Naked. I know the drill." 
- Patch and Nora, Hush Hush. Page 63

"Do you want to posses my body?" 
"I want to do a lot of things to your body, but that's not one of them." 
- Patch and Nora, Hush Hush. Page 313

"All this time I've hated myself for it. I thought I'd given it up for nothing . . . But if I hadn't fallen, I wouldn't have met you." 
- Patch, Hush Hush. Page 338

"First, Hank can't see us together. Second, I don't like the idea of dragging you into something that could get messy fast. If you need one more reason, I love you. This is uncharted territory for me, but I need to know that at the end of the night, I have you to come home to." 
- Patch, Silence. Page 379

Hope you like Patch :P I will write and post my review of Silence as soon as I can get some time. 

Jammie the Book Nerd 
xxoo

Mini Reviews: Wavelength and Falling For Hamlet

Wavelength by A.J. Betts 

MY RATING: 3/5

REVIEW: 

Wavelength is a simple story about a normal boy who is just trying to study and get through his exams. Very relatable for high school students. Stress about grades and (for me in QLD) OP's and getting into the university that you want. I can can still relate to the pressure Oliver is under for exams being in university now. 

Oliver is a very relatable character for anyone in high school and even university students coming up to their exams. It's a story about life. It's long. Don't stress unnecessarily about your future. Just take things as they come. All in all it was a very easy and relatable read, I enjoyed it. 

Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray 

MY RATING: 3/5

REVIEW: 
Falling for Hamlet is a contemporary of Shakespeare's Hamlet where Ophelia doesn't die, but lives to tell the tale of what really happened to the royal family. As I haven't actually seen or read Hamlet I can't make much of a comparison to how the author has captured the characters or the story. I am not a very big Shakespeare fan but I really enjoyed this book and I think that it will definitely broaden some readers interest to more of the classics, like Shakespeare. I am going to rent out the movie and read the play and then I will post a proper comparison of the story and the characters. I liked this book, and would definitely recommend it. 

Jammie the Book Nerd
xxoo

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

MY RATING: 4/5

BLURB: 

the cold. 

Grace has spend years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf - her wolf - watched back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why, 

the heat. 

Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace . . . until now. 

the shiver.

For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human - and Grace must fight to keep him - even if it means taking on the scars of the past and fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future. 

REVIEW: 

If I had to describe Shiver in one word I would probably use cute, or adorable. Shiver is a sweet love story with lovable characters. 

Grace has watched the wolf with the yellow eyes for the last six years. When Sam and Grace finally meet in person they can't deny their feelings for each other. Sam and Grace try to spend all the time that they can together in their limited time as they try to keep Sam from the cold and staying human. 

I really liked Sam and Grace as characters. Sam was just adorable. He was so sweet and just all round wonderful. Grace was a very strong character, she seemed to be the more dominant one in their relationship. Sam was always being gentlemanly and wouldn't even kiss her, but she was the one to just jump straight into things. 

The only thing that brings this book down for me is the love at first sight sort of thing. Maggie Stiefvater seems to like writing it. I have read Lament and Ballad and it was the same sort of deal. I don't personally like the whole love at first sight. But Sam and Grace had the sweetest relationship the book made me smile and even cry for them at times. I really enjoyed this book. 

Jammie the Book Nerd 
xxoo

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

MY RATING: 5/5

BLURB: 

Francesca is at the beginning of her second term in Year Eleven at an all boys' school that has just started accepting girls. She still misses her old friends, and, to make things worse, her mother has had a breakdown and can barely move from her bed. But Francesca had not counted on the fierce loyalty of her new friends, or falling in love, or finding that it's within her power to bring her family back together. 

From the best-selling, multi-award-winning author of Looking for Alibrandi, comes a memorable story told with humor compassion and joy. 

REVIEW: 

As always Marchetta creates a wonderful world of fantastic characters that you can't help but love. 

Francesca is trying to deal with fitting in at a new school, an all boys school that has started accepting girls, she feels like she has enough to deal with without her mother's problems too, who suddenly won't get out of bed. Francesca's mum is suffering from depression. The story follows Francesca as she tries to blend in at a new school, falls in love and tries to cope with her depressed mother, when in the end she learns that she can help bring them back together again, and decides to save herself. 

Francesca is a very real character, she's easy to connect and relate to. She's just a normal teenage girl, trying to fit in at a new school and deal with her family problems. I think everyone can relate to in some way or another. Will Trombal, where do I start. I love Will Trombal. He's sweet, and smart and sometimes just seems like a confusing arse hole, but, as with all of Marchetta's wonderful characters, you just can't help but love him. All of Francesca's friends were wonderful. They're all so opposite, but exactly the same and fit together so well. 

As with the other two books that I have read by Melina Marchetta I really liked Saving Francesca, I didn't find it as sad as the other two, but I still loved it. 

Jammie the Book Nerd

xxoo

My Book Boyfriend #1: Will Trombal

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly Meme that is hosted by Missie over at The Unread Reader, where bloggers get together and post all about their literary crush of the week :) Including stats and quotes from or about him that you love. If you're interested check out the intro post at The Unread Reader. 

So I know that this is a weekly Meme, but I probably won't be able to post it weekly, I will try as hard as I can. But Uni is getting into the exam periods at the moment so I am not having a lot of time for blogging. But anyway, onto my very first My Book Boyfriend post :) 

So for my first My Book Boyfriend I have decided on Will Trombal from Saving Francesca. 

STATS:  

"He has a strange face. It's all sharpness and angles and incredibly fair skin. But then he's got this thatch of black hair that's such a contrast. It's like two cultures has a massive fight over his face and neither one."

• Possibly half Italian 
• Voice has been described as the voice of a sex god
• He has a small scar between his eyes 

QUOTES: 

"I can't get the Will Trombal kiss out of my mind. No. "kiss" is not the word to describe it. The Will Trombal experience. The Will Trombal extravaganza." 

"'I'm sorry,' he says, 'for that time I kissed you at the party and for that time at the wedding and more than anything for the thousand times that I wanted to and didn't have the guts to." 

"'Kind of interested in you,' he laughs, as if he can't believe what he's hearing. 'I'm kind of interested in calculus and Ancient Roman warfare. You don't use words kind of interested to describe how I feel about you.'" 

"'We haven't even started going out together and you're thinking of breaking up.' 

'But that's it. When I think of you, I think future stuff. I think of this is it and I'm not supposed to think this is it at my age. I don't look at you and think nice. I look at you and think, oh my God, I want to hold her and never let her go. I think sex-right here, right now-'" 

Just writing the quotes out is making me swoon. Don't you just love him already? 

So what do you think of Will Trombal? Have you read Saving Francesca? 

Jammie the Book Nerd 

xxoo

White Cat by Holly Black

MY RATING: 4/5

BLURB: 

CASSEL IS CURSED

Cursed by the memory of the fourteen year old girl he murdered. Life at school is a constant trial. Life at home even worse. No-one at home is ever going to forget that Cassel is a killer. No-one at home is ever going to forget that he isn't a magic worker. And now he is being haunted by a white cat. . . 

Cassel's family are magic workers. Ever since magic was prohibited in 1929 magic workers have been driven underground and into crime. And while people still need their touch, their luck, their curses, their magical killings, their transformations, times have been hard. His grand-dad is a black-fingered death-dealer, his mother is in prison and his brothers detest him as the only one of their family who can't do magic. 

But there is a secret at the center of Cassel's family and he's about to inherit it. It's terrifying and that's the truth. 

The White Cat is the sensational new novel of a changed world and the price we have to pay for magic from the internationally bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles. 

REVIEW: 

I had no idea what to expect from this book. I hadn't heard anything about it, only some people on a The Mortal Instruments group that I am a part of telling me that's it's good and that I should read it. I am actually really glad that I did. It was good :) Full of lots of twists. And that ending! Those of you who have read the book will know what I'm talking about. You think that all is well everything is finally happy, he's got everything he ever wanted. And then BAM!! They throw that at you. 

Cassel is a killer. Nobody but his family members know about what he did to poor Lila. When Cassel begins to learn some of the secrets about his family and himself that they have all kept so well from him, his whole world is turned upside down. Cassel is the youngest in a family of course workers. His mother is an Emotion Worker, his Grand Father a Death worker. Cassel is the only one in his family not able to do Curse Work. This and the girl that he killed always make him feel like the odd one out in his family. Everyone is always excluding him from their "secret worker business" and his brother hasn't looked him in the eye for three years. All Cassel wants is to be normal, or to be perceived as normal anyway. He just wants to be like the rest of his family, be included. 

Cassel annoyed me a little to begin with. It just seemed so much that he just did whatever anyone told him to. He didn't fight for what he wanted, he just went a long with anything. But closer to the end of the book you see that that isn't really the case. He sort of has to do what he is told. And he does fight for what he wants. And he is very smart :P So by the end of the book I really did like Cassel's character. Cassel's brothers were very interesting. I can't say too much without it being spoilers. But I didn't like Phillip very much, and Barron I'm a bit unsure about. Zacharov was pretty awsome for a powerful criminal, and I loved Cassel's Grandfather. 

I knew from about half way through the book that I was going to have a hard time reviewing this book. I don't know what I can say about it. I just want to gush about all the twists. At first the story was a little confusing. When it comes to stories like these, set in different worlds, you have to first wrap your head around how they work. There wasn't much explanation behind a lot of things, you have to sort of pick things up as you go along, which I really enjoy. There is a lot of twists and surprises all through the book, there is not really any major ones, but a lot of small things that Cassel learns and you never would have expected (well I didn't anyway). So all in all, I really enjoyed this book. I definitely want to go out and get my hands on a copy for myself (I borrowed it out from the library), as well as a copy of the sequel Red Glove. 

Jammie the Book Nerd 
xxoo

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

MY RATING: 4/5

BLURB: 

My whole body shivered. I was about to find out if magic was real. The electric thrill of terror was sharp on my tongue. I cut deep. 

Silla is damaged and lost since the death of her parents. 

Nick is the new boy in town with a chilling past of his own.

A mysterious spell book steeped in blood magic will bind Silla and Nick together. 

But at what cost?

A fiery, intoxicating and pulse-pounding debut novel. 

REVIEW: 

I really liked this book. I've never really read anything like it before, so it was a very refreshing change. The only other book that I have read about magic is Beautiful Creatures, but Blood Magic was still really different from that. 

Nick and Silla are special, they can do magic. Blood Magic. Silla came home one day and discovered her parents in a pool of their own blood. They told her that her father shot her mother and then shot himself. Nick is the new guy in town who we learn had a disturbing childhood with the magic. When their paths cross and Nick finds Silla in the cemetery doing magic he is instantly worried and partly intrigued. Nick, Silla and Silla's brother Reese all work together to try and learn what really happened to their parents and stumble across someone who uses the blood magic for evil. 

The story was really well written. I like stories that switch between the guy and the girl, it gives you more of an insight to both of their stories and feelings. The journal entries were an interesting way to get some of the background story of the characters. I enjoyed reading about Silla and Nick's relationship. It was very real. There was no, they see each other for the first time and know that they're meant for each other, it's just normal. They're two teenagers, they develop crushes on each other, they're full of regular teenage desires. 

I liked all of the characters in the story. Nick calling Silla babe so much, and so early in their relationship was a little annoying, but other than that I really liked Nick. Silla was interesting. The Silla we see in the book is very opposite from the person she used to be. The Silla we meet is broken and very damaged from what she has gone through. I found it interesting how she used the idea of masks to keep her emotions hidden from people. Gram Judy was sweet. Reese was a really good brother. Josephine was a really well written and developed character. She was fun and really interesting to read about. 

I really enjoyed this book. It was really different, I have never really read anything like it before.  There was a lot of blood and dead bodies in this story. So some of it would be a little scary and disturbing for some people. I would probably recommend of 14 or 15 +

I love the cover of this book. The copy that I read had a plain white cover. I personally like the black better. The white seemed too pure and good, where I felt the blood magic was a little bad and maybe even a little evil. So the black cover with the forest looming in the back ground suits the story much more for me. I love the chipped nail polish, very nice touch. It makes me think of Silla. Going through such a traumatizing experience, just trying to go with the flow and just get through the days, neglecting something as mundane as repainting your fingernails. 

Jammie the Book Nerd 
xxoo

Devilish by Maureen Johnson

MY RATING: 3/5

BLURB: 

Jane Jarvis and Allison Concord, seniors at Saint Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls, have always been too quirky to be popular, but at least they'll always have each other, right? Not so much. After a hideously embarrassing disaster, Allison comes to school transformed. Suddenly she has cute hair and clothes, speaks fluent Latin, and won't even look at Jane. With the help of a strangely wise freshman boy, Jane discovers the incredible truth: Allison has sold her soul to the devil. Now Jane will have to save Allison before the bizarrely exclusive Poodle Prom, a party of biblical proportions that just might blow apart the world as Jane knows it. 

REVIEW: 

This was the first book that I have ever read by Maureen Johnson. I have been wanting to get my hands on one for quite a while. I am really glad that I liked it. I have been following Maureen Johnson on Twitter for quite a while, and the kind of fun and quirky person that she is really shows through in her writing. I really enjoyed this book, and I definitely want to read more by her. 

Jane Jarvis and Allison Concord are just two normal girls at high school.They've never really been the popular type, but they have always had each other. Until one day when Allison comes to school a completely different person; suddenly she has new hair, new clothes and a new phone that she can't work. Jane soon learns that Allison has made a deal with the devil, like any good best friend would, Jane tries to help Allison get out of the deal in anyway  that she can. 

Johnson has developed a set of extremely interesting characters. Jane is very intelligent and a wonderful friend. Even after Allison practically ditches her and turns on her she still tries to do everything she can to get her out of the deal that she's made. I didn't like Allison very much at the beginning of the book, but by the end I did. She's an interesting character. Just as good a friend to Jane as she is to her. 

I really enjoyed this book. I was a little worried at first, because I didn't know what to expect. But it was a pleasant surprise and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be on the prowl for more Maureen Johnson books to try :) 

Jammie the Book Nerd 

xxoo

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

MY RATING: 5/5

BLURB:

'And what's this about you and your friends driving around Bondi Junction half-dressed last week?'

'Who told you that?'

'Signora Formosa saw you. She said you and your friends almost ran her over. She rang Zia Patrizia's next-door neighbour and it got back to Nonna.' 

Telecom would go broke if it weren't for the Italians. 

Josephine Alibrandi is seventeen, illegitimate, and in her final year at a wealthy Catholic school. This is the year her father comes back into her life, the year she falls in love, the year she discovers the secrets of her family's past and the year she sets herself free. 

I'll run one day. Run for my life. To be free and think for myself. Not as an Australian and not as an Italian and not as an in between. I'll run to be emancipated. 

Multi-award-winning and hugely popular, Looking for Alibrandi has become a classic of modern YA literature. 

REVIEW: 

Looking for Alibrandi is the second book by Melina Marchetta that I have read. My first was On the Jellicoe Road, which is one of my favourite books. I was really looking forward to reading more of Marchetta's books and am glad that this one lived up to my expectations :) I loved it, but not as much as I love On the Jellicoe Road. 

Josephine Alibrandi is in her last year of high school. A lot of things happen in Josie's life this year, she meets her father for the first time in her life, falls in love and learns the secrets of her family's past. As always Marchetta creates a beautifully realistic world with characters that have realistic flaws and ambitions. 

I love the characters in this story. Jacob Coote reminded me a lot of Judd Nelson from The Breakfast Club :P If you haven't seen it, I recommend you do. Fantastic movie. I personally think that Marchetta writes very crush worthy guys in her books, of the two that  I have read so far anyway :P I love Jacob, he's sweet and wonderful and he has that whole bad boy thing going on. Love it. Sera annoyed me a little, but I guess that was kind of the idea. Once we got to know her more, I loved Nonna. 

I can foresee myself becoming a big Melina Marchetta fan :P I loved this book. I am really glad that I read it. I look forward to reading Saving Francesca, and other books by her. If you haven't read this book or On the Jellicoe Road I would highly recommend you give them a go. I love them both. 

Jammie the Book Nerd 
xxoo

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

MY RATING: 3/5

BLURB: 

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? 

When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her, his world begins to fall apart. 

If you're brother's accused of a terrible crime but says he didn't do it, you defend him, don't you? 

When Ellie's brother is charged with the offence, her world begins to unravel. 

When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. 

This is a brave and unflinching novel from the best selling author of Before I Die. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love. 

REVIEW: 

When I picked this book up from the library (it was on my TBR list) I didn't actually realise that it was by the same author as Before I Die until I picked it up to read a few days ago. When I realised this I was a little worried. I didn't like Before I Die very much. It just wasn't for me. But I liked You Against Me. You can see my mini review of before I die here.

You Against Me is a story about a the brother of a young girl that was raped, and the sister of the boy who was accused. Mikey meets Ellie at a party and has the intentions of getting her to fall for him. She does. But what Mikey doesn't intend to happen is for him to fall for her. 

I like Mikey and Ellie. I liked that parts that they were together most in the book. They were just so cute. Shy and innocent Ellie and man whore Mikey who had never felt this way about anyone before. They are so opposite yet so perfect together. Mikey is the kind of guy that has a new girl friend every week; Ellie is the kind of girl that has never had a boyfriend before. So the two of them seem the most unlikely couple, but they work so well together. 

I am not personally a big fan of Jenny Downham's style of writing. I don't know how to explain how she writes. In Before I Die Tessa was a very strange and sort of morbid character. Some of the things that she thought disturbed me sometimes. It isn't as bad in this story, but there is one part in the book where Mikey is sitting on the toilet and she writes about how he grabs a wad of toilet paper and wipes himself. I personally don't like that style of writing. 

That aside I did enjoy You Against Me, the love story was sweet and Mikey was amazing. Very fictional crush worthy material :P I am glad that I liked it, I was a little worried as I didn't like Downham's other book very much. Although I know that it is very popular. So I would definitely recommend them both, you may like them more than me :) 

Jammie the Book Nerd 

xxoo

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

MY RATING: 4/5

BLURB: 

BLOOD DOESN'T LIE. . .

Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampire got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the line. 

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one. 

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning. 

REVIEW: 

I didn't know whether this book was a 4 or a 5 for me. I have been so excited for this book for quite a while, and I have to say that it definitely lived up to all of my expectations. 

Bloodlines is Richelle Mead's second series in the same world. We follow a few familiar characters, but a very different story. Bloodlines follows the story of alchemist, Sydney, who we met in the Vampire Academy series. Sydney isn't the only familiar face along the way. We also get to see some more of Adrian ;), Eddie, and Jill. Sydney is pulled from the comfort of her bed in the middle of the night to go into hiding with Jill. 

I love Mead's writing. I loved the Vampire Academy series, so I was really excited for Bloodlines. Whenever I mention Vampire Academy to anyone, I get the standard groan about annoying vampire books, but then I have to explain that this is nothing like any of those other vampire books! They are amazing, unique, so different and original. Mead creates a beautifully written world and characters. They are so much fun to read about and be with. 

When we met Sydney in Vampire Academy I loved her. I found her a really interesting person, I wanted to know more. Who was this girl that ate basically nothing, and could disintegrate dead strigoi bodies. It was really awsome getting to know her more, and seeing how much she had developed as a character. Throughout the course of this book we get to know Sydney a lot more than we ever did in Vampire Academy, when we first met her, Sydney was a little mysterious, we didn't really know anything about her. But fans be assured. If you were intrigued by Sydney, then you definitely won't be disappointed. 

We also get to see how things are going for some of the other characters. How Eddie is dealing after the events that may turn his life around, how that will impact his future career as a Guardian. How Jill is coping with suddenly being royal and related to the new Queen at that. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Bloodlines, I always enjoy Mead's writing. Fans of the Vampire Academy series will not be disappointed. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series, titled The Golden Lily. 

Jammie the Book Nerd
xxoo

How did you find me?

Hey guys, 

So how are my reviews going? Hope I'm not an epic fail at this :P Oh well, I don't mind if I am, I just enjoy writing them :) Well, I hope you's are enjoying them though. I would hate to have 13 (!!) followers now and be disappointing all of you :D Haha. 

So, I was just thinking about how awsome it is when you find a really good new blog. And then I got onto thinking how you guys found me. So, purely out of curiosity, I was wondering if you would leave me a comment and let me know how you found my blog :) A few of you guys I know, but there are quite a few that I don't. 

Hope to hear from you :) I am off to write my review of Bloodlines now. Will post shortly. 

Jammie the Book Nerd 

xxoo

Fury by Shirley Marr

MY RATING: 4/5

BLURB: 
Let me tell you my story. 
Not just the facts I know you want to hear. 
If I'm going to tell you my story, 
I'm telling it my way. 

Strap yourself in. . . 

Eliza Boans has everything. 
A big House. 
A great education. 
A bright future. 

So why is she sitting in a police station confessing to murder? 

REVIEW: 

I loved this book. The ending was amazing. I didn't see it coming at all! I wasn't sure about this book when I first started reading it; I was just eager to know what had happened to Eliza and wanted to find out more quickly. But back story is important. 

Eliza is a spoilt, rich girl who has everything she could ever wish for. She is stubborn and very controlling. As horrible as she is to her friends sometimes, she loves them to death and would do anything for them. I didn't like Eliza very much at the beginning of the story, she was just so horrible to her friends and bossy and controlling and I didn't like that. But throughout the course of the story, as you learned more about her character, she became more likable, you could understand why she is the way that she is. 

I really enjoyed this book. I don't know what else to say about it. It was well written, switching between the events that have lead Eliza to where she is now, and her present where she is telling Dr Fadden her story. This was a great debut and I would definitely recommend this book, it was very interesting :) 

Jammie the Book Nerd

xxoo

Who's Excited For Bloodlines!! :D

Hey guys, 

So who's excited for the release of Bloodlines by Richelle Mead next Tuesday!!! :D I know I am. I cannot wait! I am going straight to the book store after Uni to go and get my copy. Haha. I have been so excited for this book for so long. I don't know what else to say about it. Except rant about how excited I am :D Haha. 

Anyway, is anybody else as excited as I am!? What do you think is going to happen? If you haven't seen them yet, I recommend going and checking out the teaser trailers at the Bloodlines facebook page. They are awsome. They did a great job with the casting. Well, I hope someone is as excited as I am. Well, I will stop babbling now. 

Here's the Blurb:  

I wasn’t free of my past, not yet.

Sydney’s blood is special. That’s because she’s an alchemist—one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the line.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she’s still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse.  Jill Dragomir—the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir—is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill’s guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places—a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside—and within—the school grounds. Now that they’re in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

Jammie the Book Nerd

xxoo