Published: 2009
Publisher: Headline
Pages: 336
Rating: 4/5
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to discover dead bodies - or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world...and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat had left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes that she might be the only one who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness of her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer - and Violet is unnerved by the hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer ... and becoming his prey herself.
I really enjoyed The Body Finder. I thought that the concept of someone with the ability to "find dead bodies" was really original, and the story had me hooked from the first few chapters. I really liked Violet as a heroine; her determinedness to find out who the killer was, and not stopping, even it means putting herself in danger a lot.
The actual murderer's chapters and points of view freaked me out quite a lot, I must say, and for that I've got to applaud Kimberly Derting for writing their scenes so well. Some parts of the book dragged a bit, but I liked Violet and Jay's steady romance; it was very sweet and lightened up an otherwise dark book. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Review - Fade Out by Rachel Caine - Spoilers
Fade Out (Morganville Vampires #7)
Published:2010
Publisher: Allison and Busby
Pages: 348
Description:
Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedom, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again...
Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worse. Claire and Eve soon realise this film project, featuring the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger - and way more dangerous - than anyone suspected...
Review: 4/5
Well, what can I say about Rachel Caine and the Morganville Vampires. The stories are always full of action and plot twists that keep me reading, so it's really no wonder that I always get through the books fast. In this seventh installment of the series, the town of Morganville is recovering after the epic battle in the previous book, and Claire's friend Eve decides to join a stage production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Eve's starring in it with her friend Kim, who Claire takes an instant disliking to, and the events of the book really start from there.
The story is really hooking in this one; I wanted to find out straightaway why Claire disliked Kim so quickly, and it is really one of those books that you just can't put down. I really enjoy reading Claire and Myrnin's scenes; he is sweet with just the right dose of insane-ness. I also enjoyed reading Ada's scenes; even though she isn't the nicest of characters, her bits are almsot always entertaining. Overall, I really enjoyed this installment in the Morganville Vampires series, and I enjoy reading on to find out what happens next to Claire and co. 4/5
Published:2010
Publisher: Allison and Busby
Pages: 348
Description:
Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedom, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again...
Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worse. Claire and Eve soon realise this film project, featuring the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger - and way more dangerous - than anyone suspected...
Review: 4/5
Well, what can I say about Rachel Caine and the Morganville Vampires. The stories are always full of action and plot twists that keep me reading, so it's really no wonder that I always get through the books fast. In this seventh installment of the series, the town of Morganville is recovering after the epic battle in the previous book, and Claire's friend Eve decides to join a stage production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Eve's starring in it with her friend Kim, who Claire takes an instant disliking to, and the events of the book really start from there.
The story is really hooking in this one; I wanted to find out straightaway why Claire disliked Kim so quickly, and it is really one of those books that you just can't put down. I really enjoy reading Claire and Myrnin's scenes; he is sweet with just the right dose of insane-ness. I also enjoyed reading Ada's scenes; even though she isn't the nicest of characters, her bits are almsot always entertaining. Overall, I really enjoyed this installment in the Morganville Vampires series, and I enjoy reading on to find out what happens next to Claire and co. 4/5
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Currently Reading, mini book haul
I haven't updated this page in a while, so I thought I would share what I am currently reading and what books I have bought in the last few months.
I bought:
The Demon Trappers: Forsaken by Jana Oliver;
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland;
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare;
Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson;
Cujo by Stephen King;
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud;
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.
I have been quite good with buying books so far; the last one of these that I bought was City of Ashes, I also have 40+ books to get through on my bookshelf so I'm hoping to read a big chunk of them before I buy anymore (if I can!).
I am currently reading Fade Out by Rachel Caine. It is the seventh book of the Morganville Vampires series and I should have a review on it by the end of this week.
I bought:
The Demon Trappers: Forsaken by Jana Oliver;
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland;
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare;
Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson;
Cujo by Stephen King;
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud;
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.
I have been quite good with buying books so far; the last one of these that I bought was City of Ashes, I also have 40+ books to get through on my bookshelf so I'm hoping to read a big chunk of them before I buy anymore (if I can!).
I am currently reading Fade Out by Rachel Caine. It is the seventh book of the Morganville Vampires series and I should have a review on it by the end of this week.
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Books I bought
It has been a while since I last updated this page so I thought I would do a post on all the books I have bought in the last month.
From The Works: Morganville Vampires books 6-8. Carpe Corpus, Kiss of Death and Fade Out by Rachel Caine. I'm a really big fan of this series and the books don't take me long to read, so hopefully I'll start reading them soon :)
From Publishers Book Clearance: Shade by Jeri Smith Ready; Emerald by Karen Wallace and Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles. I checked out Shade a while back and it is meant to be good so I'm looking forward to reading it. I like paranormal/fantasy type books so hopefully I'll enjoy it.
Emerald is a book that I've seen around the internet, it looks pretty good, and it has been a while since I've read some historical fiction (which I am a fan of!) so hopefully this will be good.
Rules of Attraction is the second in a series of books by Simone Elkeles. The first one is Perfect Chemistry, which I've already read and enjoyed, so hopefully this one will be great :)
Finally, I bought Graceling by Kristin Cashore, secondhand. I've already finished it and it was pretty good, I loved the character of Po! If you want to find out more please read this book, you won't be disappointed if you like fantasy.
From The Works: Morganville Vampires books 6-8. Carpe Corpus, Kiss of Death and Fade Out by Rachel Caine. I'm a really big fan of this series and the books don't take me long to read, so hopefully I'll start reading them soon :)
From Publishers Book Clearance: Shade by Jeri Smith Ready; Emerald by Karen Wallace and Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles. I checked out Shade a while back and it is meant to be good so I'm looking forward to reading it. I like paranormal/fantasy type books so hopefully I'll enjoy it.
Emerald is a book that I've seen around the internet, it looks pretty good, and it has been a while since I've read some historical fiction (which I am a fan of!) so hopefully this will be good.
Rules of Attraction is the second in a series of books by Simone Elkeles. The first one is Perfect Chemistry, which I've already read and enjoyed, so hopefully this one will be great :)
Finally, I bought Graceling by Kristin Cashore, secondhand. I've already finished it and it was pretty good, I loved the character of Po! If you want to find out more please read this book, you won't be disappointed if you like fantasy.
Monday, 12 December 2011
Currently Reading - Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
As the title of this post suggests, I am currently reading Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, the first book in the Infernal Devices series. Since I have only read the first book, City of Bones in the Mortal Instruments series, I was worried that I would miss something whilst reading it. However, the plot is quite good so far, and as far as I know you can read the two series separately without anything being spoiled.
I have borrowed the book from my local library and am almost halfway through it. Part of the reason I picked it up was that I really enjoy stories set in the Victorian era, which the Infernal Devices series are. I've previously read the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray and various others, and have enjoyed them thoroughly so hopefully I will love this by the end of it! Here is the cover.
Strings Attached by Judy Blundell - Review
Okay so a few weeks ago (I'm unsure the exact date, it has been a busy week!) I finished Judy Blundell's teen book Strings Attached. Here is the review for it:
3 and a half stars
Details
Author: Judy Blundell
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2011
Pages: 356
Plot summary on book jacket:
"I only had one place to go. But maybe that made it harder to take the first steps towards it." Kit Corrigan arrives in New York City with a dream, no money and a whole load of baggage. Fresh from her breakup with unpredictable, hot-blooded Billy, who's now enlisted in the army, she's looking for a fresh start in the glitz and glamour of Broadway.
Life in the city isn't quite what Kit expected, however, as she struggles to make her mark in the cut-throat world of showbiz.
With her future looking uncertain, an unexpected helping hand comes in the shape of Nate Benedict, an eminent lawyer with rumoured Mafia connections - and Billy's father. Suddenly, Kit's dream of being a star is within her grasp...but at what price?
A novel full of love, deceit, intrigue and murder.
Review:
Strings Attached is a book that I've wanted to get my hands on for a while now. I'd read Judy Blundell's previous novel, What I Saw And How I Lied a few years earlier, and really enjoyed it, so when I heard about this, I was really excited to start reading it. The plot is set in 1960s New York, with flasbacks from the 50s and 40s being thrown in to the mix to give the reader more information on Kit's past and how she ended up in New York in the first place. Kit originally moved to New York from Rhode Island, to try and make it as a famous dancer on Broadway. When we first meet her shes starring in a show called That Girl From Scranton! but wants to find better job opportunities.
A few weeks before she arrived in New York, Kit had had an ugly break up with her boyfriend and childhood sweetheart Billy, who joined the army, and who Kit clearly still isn't over. In the flashback chapters it is revealed that Kit is part of a set of triplets: her sister Muddie still lives in Rhode Island with their father, whilst their brother Jamie has joined the army along with Billy, who happens to be Jamie'e best friend. Before she left for New York, Kit's aunt Delia used to live with the family, but left for reasons I won't say.
In the beginning I was really intrigued by the plot. I loved the Broadaway backdrop, and could almost feel myself being pulled back in time to the swinging sixties, as Kit describes going to dance lessons, and dancing on Broadway. I also enjoyed the flasback chapters, as you get to know more about Kit, her family, and her home life. It also helps you understand what is happening in the present parts of the book, and clears up some questions you might have at the beginning of the novel.
I only gave Strings Attached a 3 and a half stars out of 5, because towards the end of the book, I sort of became less interested in the plot, but don't let my review put off people from reading this! I would certainly read more books that are set in this time period but I have to say that I preferred Ms Blundell's previous novel, although I would still read books by her again.
3 and a half stars
Details
Author: Judy Blundell
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2011
Pages: 356
Plot summary on book jacket:
"I only had one place to go. But maybe that made it harder to take the first steps towards it." Kit Corrigan arrives in New York City with a dream, no money and a whole load of baggage. Fresh from her breakup with unpredictable, hot-blooded Billy, who's now enlisted in the army, she's looking for a fresh start in the glitz and glamour of Broadway.
Life in the city isn't quite what Kit expected, however, as she struggles to make her mark in the cut-throat world of showbiz.
With her future looking uncertain, an unexpected helping hand comes in the shape of Nate Benedict, an eminent lawyer with rumoured Mafia connections - and Billy's father. Suddenly, Kit's dream of being a star is within her grasp...but at what price?
A novel full of love, deceit, intrigue and murder.
Review:
Strings Attached is a book that I've wanted to get my hands on for a while now. I'd read Judy Blundell's previous novel, What I Saw And How I Lied a few years earlier, and really enjoyed it, so when I heard about this, I was really excited to start reading it. The plot is set in 1960s New York, with flasbacks from the 50s and 40s being thrown in to the mix to give the reader more information on Kit's past and how she ended up in New York in the first place. Kit originally moved to New York from Rhode Island, to try and make it as a famous dancer on Broadway. When we first meet her shes starring in a show called That Girl From Scranton! but wants to find better job opportunities.
A few weeks before she arrived in New York, Kit had had an ugly break up with her boyfriend and childhood sweetheart Billy, who joined the army, and who Kit clearly still isn't over. In the flashback chapters it is revealed that Kit is part of a set of triplets: her sister Muddie still lives in Rhode Island with their father, whilst their brother Jamie has joined the army along with Billy, who happens to be Jamie'e best friend. Before she left for New York, Kit's aunt Delia used to live with the family, but left for reasons I won't say.
In the beginning I was really intrigued by the plot. I loved the Broadaway backdrop, and could almost feel myself being pulled back in time to the swinging sixties, as Kit describes going to dance lessons, and dancing on Broadway. I also enjoyed the flasback chapters, as you get to know more about Kit, her family, and her home life. It also helps you understand what is happening in the present parts of the book, and clears up some questions you might have at the beginning of the novel.
I only gave Strings Attached a 3 and a half stars out of 5, because towards the end of the book, I sort of became less interested in the plot, but don't let my review put off people from reading this! I would certainly read more books that are set in this time period but I have to say that I preferred Ms Blundell's previous novel, although I would still read books by her again.
Monday, 21 November 2011
Currently Reading
I am currently reading a book called Strings Attached and it is by Judy Blundell. A few years ago I read Blundell's other book What I Saw And How I Lied, which I quite enjoyed so I was excited when I found Strings Attached for £2 in Publishers Book Clearance :)
It's a historical novel, set in 1950 in New York and follows seventeen year old Kit Corrigan, who has recently moved from Rhode Island to try and be a famous dancer. Although I'm only just over a hundred pages in, its pretty good so far so I urge people who like historical fiction to give it a go and see if you like it.
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