Review: Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Series: Caster Chronicles #4
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 23rd 2012
Source: Bought

Is death the end... or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Omg. I actually have no words to describe how I'm feeling after reading this book. I'm so upset that this series is over now, but what an amazing ending to a series. Well done Kami and Margaret.Ethan and Lena are one of my most favourite couples ever and them being torn apart was heartbreaking. 

The story is told from two different perspectives. The very first couple of pages are from Lena's perspective and it linked back to the previous book and basically told you that Ethan is dead. There was no escaping it there and I slightly teared up at the start hearing it from Lena. Then throughout the book there are three different parts: Book 1 is Ethan, Book 2 is Lena and then Book 3 is Ethan again.

I love the change to Lena because we've never actually got to experience anything from her perspective before and I enjoyed learning more about Lena and we also got to learn what was happening with all the other characters in the book which we wouldn't have got if the whole story had been from Ethan's perspective. 

Ethan and Lena's relationship is one of the strongest I've ever read about. I think it helps that their relationship isn't portrayed as fully physical, but more emotional and mental. I enjoyed reading about the depth of their relationship and how much they understand each other. They're one of the strongest YA couples I've ever read about.

The whole story line of the last book was exciting and heartbreaking (because it's the last book) and I just couldn't put it down until I knew everything would be alright in the end. Ethan and Lena are apart for nearly the whole book as Ethan's in the otherworld and Lena's alive in Gatlin.

I enjoyed seeing Ethan's journey through the otherworld and seeing him reunited with his Aunt Prue and his Mother brought a tear to my eye (especially with his mother). Throughout the novel, Ethan is trying his hardest to get back to Lena but his Mother is trying to get him to stay with her - which you can completely understand because she hasn't seen her boy in so long - but I was hoping that there would be a way for Ethan to get back to Lena because he shouldn't have had to die in the first place. I really liked Ethan's inventive way of communicating with Lena from the otherworld and I love how she never gave up on him when other people were telling her that there was no way Ethan could come back. For me, that just emphasized how strong their relationship is. 

There was plenty of action in this book (in the otherworld and in Gatlin). In the otherworld, Ethan was making his way to the Far Keep to erase his death page which would bring him back to life an on his way he encountered Sarafine. I wasn't sure whether to feel sorry for Sarafine or still hate her, but it was hard to hate someone who had been tortured and who sacrificed herself so that Ethan could go and kill Angelus and get his life back. 

Meanwhile, in Gatlin. There was a fight between The Casters and Abraham and his army which resulted in the death of Abraham and Hunting and I was cheering after this scene. They caused so much pain and trouble throughout the series and it was brilliant to see the end of them. 

The end of the story when Ethan returned was heartbreaking. Ethan returns to see Amma sacrificing herself so that the world is in balance. I just couldn't take it anymore and I ended up in tears. Poor Ethan. All the effort he went to to get back to his family and then he has to watch the closest person he has to a mother sacrificing herself so that the world is in balance is too much for him. But then Lena showed up and I cried even more at their reunion. It was beautiful to just see them together again after being apart for so long. I really liked this quote  from Ethan when they were reunited:

"I'm not even sure we remembered to kiss. What we had went deeper than a kiss."

And that, for me, just proves how solid their relationship is.

I also loved that we finally got to find out what Amma had found Link doing in their basement when he was nine and I just laughed. I actually thought it would be something more juicy, but Link coming from a confederate family and trying on a union soldiers uniform was really funny. And then Amma with the crossword at the end started me crying again. I get so emotional when I'm reading books. I loved the epilogue as well with Ethan and his chocolate milk and I knew everything was going to be fine.

This was such an amazing end to such an amazing series and I'm so grateful to Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl for writing characters and a story line that I fell in love with the minute I picked up the first book. Thank you so much for such an amazing journey and I'm so sad that it's had to come to an end, but I will always treasure these books and I know I'll definitely read them over and over again. This series is one of my favourite series ever and I highly recommend that you read it.

2012 Book List

This is a full list of all the books I read this year. It starts from June because that's when I started keeping track of what books I was reading and it was also when I set my goodreads reading challenge.


June

My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult ★★★★★

Elsewhere - Gabrielle Zevin ★★★★★

Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll ★★

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan ★★★★★

Divergent - Veronica Roth ★★★★★

Book of the Month: Divergent by Veronica Roth

July

Black Dawn - Rachel Caine ★★★★★

Twilight - Stephanie Meyer ★★★★

Dreamless - Josephine Angelini ★★★★★

Matched - Ally Condie ★★★★★

Nineteen Minutes  - Jodi Picoult ★★★★

Plain Truth - Jodi Picoult ★★★★

This Lullaby - Sarah Dessen ★★★★

Zelah Green: One More Little Problem - Vanessa Curtis ★★★★

Evermore - Alyson Noel ★★★★★

Perfect Match - Jodi Picoult ★★★★★

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan ★★★★★

The Alchemist - Michael Scott ★★

Dreamland - Sarah Dessen ★★★★

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern ★★★★

The Secret Circle: The Initiation - L J Smith ★

Switched - Amanda Hocking ★★★★★

My Love Lies Bleeding - Alyxandra Harvey ★★★★★

Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick ★★★★★

Crescendo - Becca Fitzpatrick ★★★★★

Blood Feud - Alyxandra Harvey ★★★★

Fallen - Lauren Kate ★★★★★

Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl ★★★★★

Silence - Becca Fitzpatrick ★★★★★

Abandon - Meg Cabot ★★★★★

Book of the Month: Abandon by Meg Cabot

August

Percy Jackson and the Titans Curse - Rick Riordan ★★★★★

Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan ★★★★★

Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian - Rick Riordan ★★★★★

Wake - Lisa McMann ★★★★

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare ★★★★★

Torment - Lauren Kate ★★★★

Mothership - Martin Leicht and Isla Neal ★★★★★

City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare ★★★★★

City of Glass - Cassandra Clare ★★★★★

Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan ★★★★

Divine by Mistake - P C Cast ★★★★★

City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare ★★★★★

Tantalize - Cynthia Leitich Smith ★★

Book of the Month: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

September

Passion - Lauren Kate ★★★★★

Rapture - Lauren Kate ★★★★★
The Iron King - Julie Kagawa ★★★★★
Ten Things We Shouldn't Have Done - Sarah Mlynowski ★★★★★
Hollowland - Amanda Hocking ★
The Magician's Nephew - C S Lewis ★★★★
The Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan ★★★★★
Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher ★★★★★
Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare ★★★★★
Shadowland - Alyson Noel ★★★
Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins ★★★★
Clockwork Prince - Cassandra Clare ★★★★★
Book of the Month: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

October
Raising Demons - Rachel Caine ★★★★★
Last Chance - Sarah Dessen ★★
Paranormalcy - Kiersten White ★★★★★
City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare ★★★★★
Beautiful Darkness - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl ★★★★★
The Declaration - Gemma Malley ★★★★
Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake ★★★★★
Book of the Month: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

November
Underworld - Meg Cabot ★★★★★
Torn - Amanda Hocking ★★★★
Ascend - Amanda Hocking ★★★★★
Beautiful Chaos - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl ★★★★★
Guardian of Atlantis - Annie Rachel Cole ★★★★
Uglies - Scott Westerfeld ★★★★★
Book of the Month: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

December
Sisters Red - Jackson Pearce ★★★★★
Tempest - Julie Cross ★★★★★
Eve & Adam - Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate ★★
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin ★★★★★
Out for Blood - Alyxandra Harvey ★★★
I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore ★★★★★
Gone - Michael Grant ★★★
The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater ★★★★★
Beautiful Redemption - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl ★★★★★
Book of the Month: Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

REVIEW: Gone by Michael Grant

Gone by Michael Grant
Series: Gone #1
Publisher: Egmont Books UK
Publication Date: September 1st 2009
Source: Bought

In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young.

There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless.

And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

This book too me sooooo long to get into. I felt like most of the book was extremely slow paced and boring and I didn't really get into it until the last quarter, which was really interesting and full of action. 

I didn't really like the main character Sam to start with, but he grew on me throughout the book. He has the potential to become a really strong character and I can't wait to read the next book to see how his character develops.

I really didn't like the character of Quinn though. I hated him from the very start because of his constant use of the word 'Brah', but then I really started to hate him more as I continued to read on. 

I think Astrid was my favourite character in the book. She's an extremely intelligent 14 year old and I absolutely loved her. I didn't like the romance between  her and Sam, because:

1. They're 14
2. It was extremely rushed
3. They said 'I love you'

There was no need for the 'I love you' whatsoever. It was made even worse by the fact that they're only 14! I felt that it was completely unnecessary and it really annoyed me.

There was a lot of action at the end with the big fight scene between the people who followed Sam and the people who followed Caine and I really enjoyed that. It was nice to have some action and something exciting in the book. 

The ending really made me want to read the next book and I have my fingers crossed that it will be better than the first.

Book & Movie Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Series: Lorien Legacies #1
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: February 1st 2011
Source: Bought

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now. The Nine had to separate and go into hiding.

The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

This book was outstanding. It's the best alien novel I've ever read. I was hooked from the very start of this book.

I really loved John Smith (or Four). He was a very intriguing and powerful character - and not just because he had awesome super powers - but because he was a strong main character. I really enjoyed watching Four grow throughout this book and seeing him develop and mature. The influences that other people had on him really made Four the person he is and he couldn't have became who he is without them.

Sarah is one of those people. She is Four's love interest in the novel and I really liked her character. She was a strong character as well - and I'm referring to her personality here - because she managed to keep it together when she found out her boyfriend was an alien and he was being hunted. I really admire her for not having a major meltdown and I think she was really good for Four.

Sam and Henri were very important characters as well. I enjoyed learning more about Lorien from Henri and seeing how he could help Four to realise his potential. I also found it interesting that Sam's dad must have been mixed in with the Loriens' and the Mogadorians'.

The whole story line of this novel was extremely interesting and I couldn't put the book down. The fight scenes at the end were extremely gripping scenes and I was holding my breath the whole time. 
The end of the book brought in another character that I absolutely loved! Six. Six was bad-ass! She wasn't afraid of anything and was a great addition to the book. I can't wait to find out more about her.

The ending was sad for two different reasons. One happened during the fight scene which I was really upset about and the other at the very end of the book, which I understand why John did what he did. It was necessary for his development and so that he rest of his race could be saved.

It was awesome and I highly recommend that you read it if you haven't already.

Movie Review

I expected a hell of a lot from this movie because the book was so awesome, but I was completely let down. There were only two things I really liked about this movie:

1. Alex Pettyfer with his top off
   I can't really complain about that
2. Number Six
   She was as bad-ass in the movie as she was in the book so I really enjoyed seeing her character.

I was pretty annoyed by most of the movie though, because a lot of it had been changed and the movie seemed like everything was happening in such a short space of time.

I hated the romance in the movie. I really didn't like the was Sarah was portrayed and the romance felt extremely rushed to me. They'd only know each other for like a week (or that's what it seemed like). The other part that really really annoyed me was the 'Henri scene'. if you've read the book and seen the movie, you'll know which part I'm talking about. There was no need to change it! It was perfect in the book and in the movie it just seemed stupid! 

There were a lot of things about this movie that they didn't have to change but did it anyways and the movie was a huge let down. It was an average film and I might watch it again if it's on TV, but I won't be buying the DVD.

If you've seen the movie, what did you think of it? And if you've also read the book, what did you think of the adaptation?

REVIEW: Out For Blood by Alyxandra Harvey

Out For Blood by Alyxandra Harvey
Series: Drake Chronicles #3
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens
Publication Date: November 1st 2010
Source: Bought

Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends-or even more.

When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra... help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?

I really enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't as good as the first two but I still really enjoyed it. The whole story revolves around the Drake family who are vampires and they first born female vampire known so she is set to become queen and other vampires are on a mission to kill her or to marry her.
In this book, Solange's mum is taking the throne for her until she is old enough to rule. 

This book is told from Quinn and Hunters perspective and I thought they were really good characters. I loved Quinn (Just like I love all the Drake brothers because they're all gorgeous). Quinn was funny and sarcastic and beautiful. He had me smiling and laughing throughout the whole book. I loved Hunter as well, she was bad ass! She's a vampire hunter who's dating a vampire! Which is awesome! 

I loved all the action/fight scenes against the Hell-Blar. I was on the edge of my seat hoping that no one that I liked would get hurt or die. 

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the romance between Quinn and Hunter. iIthink it would have been fine if the word 'love' hadn't been involved. It was insta-love. It's in every book in this series so I'm just going to have to get used to it because I really enjoy reading this series! 

I really like this series, and if you haven't heard of it, go pick up My Love Lies Bleeding. It's amazing! The first book is definitely my favourite in the series so far!

REVIEW: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Series: Mara Dyer #1
Publisher: Simon Pulse UK
Publication Date: March 1st 2012
Source: Bought

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger. She wakes from a coma in hospital with no memory of how she got there or of the bizarre accident that caused the deaths of her best friends and her boyfriend, yet left her mysteriously unharmed. The doctors suggest that starting over in a new city, a new school, would be good for her and just to let the memories gradually come back on their own.

But Mara’s new start is anything but comforting. She sees the faces of her dead friends everywhere, and when she suddenly begins to see other people’s deaths right before they happen, Mara wonders whether she’s going crazy! And if dealing with all this wasn’t enough, Noah Shaw, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen can’t seem to leave her alone… but as her life unravels around her, Mara can’t help but wonder if Noah has another agenda altogether…

OH MY FREAKIN' GOD! THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME! I just finished reading this like, 5 minutes ago and now I have no idea what to do! I just want to read the second book! But it's not out in paperback until February 28th! I can't wait that long!
OK, so I should probably start the review now!

So wow, wow, wow! Is basically what comes to mind when I think about this book. I expected it to be really good, but it blew my mind! I can't believe how brilliant it was. I loved Mara. She was so funny and likable and I just wanted to learn more about her and what happened when her friends were killed. I also LOVED Noah. Omg, Noah. At first, I didn't know whether I should like him or not, but all reasoning went out of the window when he stuck up for Mara. Noah's sarcastic, funny and extremely dirty minded, and he had me laughing when he told Mara that Curious George had been such a naughty monkey. Seriously, he was such an amazing character and I don't think I would have enjoyed the book as much as I did if he hadn't been in it.

I was really sad when Jamie left the story. I really liked Jamie, I thought he would have been a good friend for Mara (even if he did try to convince her to break it off with Noah).
The whole hallucinations part of the story was really interesting! I found myself wondering if Mara had really experienced some of the things in the book, or if she had just imagined it. I got really into this story and then the ending happened and everything just blew up in my face! And I was like 'No. Freakin'. Way!'

And then the ending! OHMYGOD! I was honestly freaking out because I have no idea whether what Mara saw was real or whether it was a hallucination! I need the next book because I'm pretty sure it's going to get even crazier!

This whole story had me engrossed the minute I started reading it. I picked this book up at about 8am this morning and it's just after 12pm. I'd only read about 50 pages before I picked it up today, but I managed to read the rest of the book in under 4 hours because it had me hooked. The story line was so intriguing and different to anything I've read this year.

I'm so glad I decided to pick this book up after hearing all the amazing reviews, and I completely agree with them. I thought this book was brilliant, different and extremely hard to put down because it was that awesome! Everyone should seriously pick up this book. It was just that good. I'm definitely going to be recommending this book to all of my friends.  I can't believe I have to wait until the 28th of February to find out what happens! Why must you torture me?!

REVIEW: Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
Series: Eve & Adam #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: October 2nd 2012
Source: Library

And girl created boy…

In the beginning, there was an apple - 

And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal. Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.

Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?

This book had so much potential! The synopsis sounded amazing and I was really looking forward to reading this book, but I was let down. Although I enjoyed parts of this book, I didn't enjoy quite a lot of it. 

The start of the book was really slow and it took me quite a while to get into it. It picked up in the middle of the book because everything started to become fast-paced and there was a bit of action, but then it died out again. 

I didn't have an attachment to any of the characters in this story. I really didn't like Eve, Aislin, Solo or Adam. I hated Terra, but that was a given. The characters didn't have anything relate-able or likable about them and I was very disappointed by that. They also lacked depth and I felt like the whole point in creating Adam was ruined by the fact that Eve didn't even like him. I mean, what's the point in that? I was expecting a whole love story between Eve and Adam and that wasn't what I got. She was supposed to be creating a perfect male, her 'soul mate', and she doesn't even like him! First she was like 'I'm glad Aislin doesn't like him or I'd have to tell her to back off because Adam's mine' and then in the next chapter she's like 'Adam's not for me. He's too perfect' and I was like MAKE UP YOUR MIND!! You made him that way and now you're complaining And then her and Solo? Really? I mean, I saw it coming from the start, but I did expect her to end up with Adam (He was supposed to be her perfect match) and I just got really confused. I really didn't like the ending of this book at all.
There were parts of the story line that I found confusing and sometimes the writing style confused me and I found myself losing the story. The only part of this book that I really enjoyed was the middle when Eve found out what was really happening at Spiker industries and then that was when there was a lot of action.

I felt like the story line had so much potential and I got really excited about this book when I read the synopsis, but most of the story just dragged for me. I found myself getting distracted extremely easily and I had to force myself to finish reading it (I was more than half way through the book so I decided to finish it). 

This is definitely not a book I would ever read again. I'm not sure if it's Michael Grant's writing style I don't like (I never managed to finish BZRK or Gone). But if you're a fan of Michael Grant you might like this, so I'm not going to say 'Don't read this book!' because it might be the kind of book that other people enjoy, but I just didn't enjoy at all.

REVIEW: Tempest by Julie Cross

Tempest by Julie Cross
Series: Tempest #1
Publisher: Macmillan Children's
Publication Date: August 30th 2012
Source: Bought

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

I've never read a young adult book with time travel and I'm glad this was the first one! I loved the whole storyline of this book and once I actually had to time to read it, I couldn't put it down. It did take me a couple of days to get into the book (but that might have been because I was distracted with uni work) but I'm so happy that I managed to get into it! 

Jackson was a really interesting character. At first, he just seemed like a typical boy messing about with his time-travel powers and conducting experiments but, after Holly was shot, and he was thrown into the past he tried his hardest to get back to her and used his abilities to find out more about his past and what had led to that moment. I loved seeing the development in his character from a carefree teenage boy into a young man with a huge weight on his shoulders after discovering who he really is. Jackson dealt with everything really well and I admire his character for his strength.

Adam was a really fun, geeky character and he was so smart! Hacking computers and creating his own code! I loved Adam and his crazy ideas.

Holly was a great character as well. I loved seeing 009 Holly at the start and then getting to see what 007 Holly was like. I loved the different relationship between Holly and Jackson in '09 and '07 and I really liked them in '07. 

But I was really happy when Jackson got back to '09 and him and Holly were back to normal. He had to tell Holly what he really was because of all the CIA agents coming after them, but I was glad that he managed to stop Holly from dying.

The ending was really heart-breaking for me. I really wanted Holly and Jackson to work as a couple, but I understand why he did what he did. He was trying to save her from getting hurt and he was saving himself from the pain of losing her.

I don't really think there was anything I didn't like about this book. I loved the whole thing! All in all, I thought this was such an amazing story and it's definitely a book that I highly recommend reading!

2012 End of Year Book Survey

This survey was created by Jamie over at The Perpetual Page-Turner, and this is my first year taking part in this survey, and I'm so excited to do it!

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

There were a lot of books I really enjoyed this year so I’m going to give a list of the top 5:

1. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

2. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

3. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

4. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

5. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

I was really excited to read The Initiation by L J Smith – which is the first book in The Secret Circle series – but I really didn’t enjoy it. I thought I would love it because I loved the TV show, but the book was so different and I didn’t like any of the characters in the book.

 3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012? 

I’d say Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I liked the movie, didn’t think it was amazing, but it was enjoyable. So I thought the book might be a let down, but the book was fantastic and SO much better than the movie!
(I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Sea of Monsters)

 

 4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

I recommended Clockwork Angel the most this year, because most of my friends had only read The Mortal Instruments series and I was like “Come on guys! The Infernal Devices is freakin’ awesome! Get it read!”
(Even though I only read both of them this year)

 5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.

 6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Cassandra Clare, Julie Kagawa, Rick Riordan and Scott Westerfeld.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I never really read any books that were out of my comfort zone this year.

 8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

 9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

Starcrossed & Dreamless by Josephine Angelini, because the third book – Goddess – is out next year and I don’t really remember everything that happened in these books.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

I absolutely love this cover! It was actually one of the reasons I bought this book (that and the amazing synopsis on the inside flap)

11. Most memorable character in 2012? 

William Herondale from The Infernal Devices springs to the front of my mind.

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

I’m not too sure about this one.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012? 

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult.

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read? 

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012? 

I loved this quote from Sisters Red:
“I am confident, I am capable, and I will not wait to be rescued by a woodsman or a hunter.” 

It shows how much of a badass Rosie March is and how strong she is.

 16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012? 

Shortest – The Magicians Nephew (106 pages)
Longest – Beautiful Creatures (563 pages)

 17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

THAT scene in City of Bones! I was like WTF!? CASSANDRA CLARE YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME! MY HEART IS IN PIECES!

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Clary and Jace were my favourite couple. They were so cute!

But I also loved Will and Tessa (even though they weren't technically a couple, but they should have been!)

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

I read Abandon and Underworld by Meg Cabot this year and I haven’t read a Meg Cabot book in 2-3 years and I fell in love with her writing again.

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

I picked up City of Bones this year because my friend kept telling me to read it and I’m so happy that I did.