Review for The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

Natalie Hargrove has spent years plotting for her and her boyfriend Mike to take the throne as Palmetto high’s Prince and Princess. Nat knows better than anyone how to get what she wants having come from the wrong part of town, with a dad in prison and a mother who’s notorious for her string of marriages to climb up the social ladder. Natalie’s put sweat and blood into becoming one of the most popular girls in school and to be crowned Palmetto Princess is to be accepted. It means that she’s made it. So when blast from the past Justin threatens to ruin everything Natalie can’t help but pull what should be a harmless prank on him- just enough to insure that his reputation is damaged- but when a prank turns into murder Natalie’s plunged into a world of secrecy, deceit and guilt. Natalie soon realises that there are some forces that are not to be reckoned with and that fate and karma always has a way of catching up with you in the end… When I read reviews comparing this book to Macbeth and one of my all-time favourite films Cruel Intentions I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy this book and boy was I right! Every so often I love to read a dark, twisted, delicious tale and The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove fit the bill perfectly. Reading this book is a bit like reading a gothic version of Gossip Girl. Natalie’s a heroine you’ll love to hate and the deadly secrets and betrayals will have you glued to this books pages. The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove is such a hard book to review because it’s such a topsy turvey read. I’d like to say that I loved the characters but I didn’t they were shallow and selfish. I’d like to say that this is a fun enjoyable read but it isn’t instead its dark, quirky and packs a punch. Yet all of these things are what makes this book so damn good. It’s not your typical young adult read. It’s different and scandalous and shows that Lauren Kate isn’t afraid to write outside the norm. I don’t think that this is necessarily a book for everyone, but it was just the grim, deadly sort of book that I love to read. It’s a story about fate and karma. It’s about your past catching up with you and atoning for your mistakes. It’s a book where not everything is quiet what it seems. It’s kind of like bitter black coffee or dark chocolate your either going to love it or hate it, but if you like your books edgy and grim or are looking for something a little different to anything else out there at the moment I would most definitely recommend this book. My Rating 4/5 stars **** Thanks go to Random House for sending me this book to review

In My Mailbox: The Christmas Edition

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Hello everyone! This is my first post of 2011 and what better way to kick start things off than doing an IMM post? This haul is going to be HUGE. I got lots of wonderful books for Christmas and spent a good chunk of my Christmas money on books. I also got sent some books for review which is always very exciting. So without further ado let’s bring out the books! Gifts Pegasus by Robin McKinley The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S King (Thanks Rach!) Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler Beautiful by Amy Reed Lauren Conrad: Style Through Thick and Thin: My Autobiography by Gok Wan The Fledgling Handbook by P. C. Cast and Kim Doner Bought with Christmas Money Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (OMG SO EXCITED!) Awakened by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast Tyme's End by B. R. Collins 0.4 by Mike Lancaster Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead I Heart Hollywood by Lindsey Kelk Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers For Review Across the Universe by Beth Revis (ARC from UK book tours) The Pain Merchants: Book One by Janice Hardy ( from Harper Collins) Paranormalcy by Kiersten White ( from Harper Collins) Solid by Shelley Workinger ( Signed ARC from the author) So to sum up my Christmas was pretty fantastic and I hope you all got some awesome books too! Huge thank yous go to my family and everybody mentioned above for these books I can’t wait to read them. If you’ve read any of the books I got this week and want to leave me a comment letting me know what you thought please do and make sure you leave me a link to what you got in your mailbox. Here’s to another great year of reading ahead :-)

Dear Followers...

Well 2010 we have had our ups and downs haven’t we? But despite getting off to a bad start we did good in the end. The start of this year sucked. My uncle passed away, I had the birthday from hell and had to figure out who my friends were pretty quickly. With a terrible January and February out of the way the year got so much better and has actually been the best in a while! This summer I got to road trip with my bestie Rachel and raid fellow book blogger and friend Ellie’s magnificent book shop Book End. I started a book blog and met wonderful bloggers, authors, publishers and readers. I gained a new cousin to spoil rotten and I’m already turning her into a mini me! And I’ve just had the best Christmas I’ve had in years. Turns out 2010 wasn’t too shabby! I know I could have done much worse, but 2011 will be my year, and I hope it’s yours too my lovely followers. You guys have never failed to cheer me up on the worst days 2010 had to bring and I appreciate every single one of you, YOU. YES. YOU who take the time to read what I have to say. I hope my blog brings some sunshine to your days too! So here’s to 2011 being bigger and better for all of us. I already plan to kick start the year off with some fabulous giveaways of, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Paranormalcy by Kiersten White and a book of your choice out of my favourites of the year. Plus my 21st birthday is coming up on the 23rd of Jan and I’m looking forward to having all of you guys celebrate with me! Thanks for sticking with me dear readers, even when my computer fail caked and died for a month. I can’t begin to tell you how much that means to me. And so I wish you a very happy 2011, may it be smiley, happy and book filled. See you all on the other side, Jess x

My first year as a book blogger summed up. Farewell 2010!

Sooo seems as everyone’s done this and I have a few spare minutes and I LOVE surveys I decided to hop on board and get one done myself! I’m also going to be doing my own version of this announcing my book of the year and other favourite books in early January so keep your eyes peeled for that! This post is everywhere at the minute but it can be originally linked back to Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner. Best Book of 2010 Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly one word. AMAZING. Worst Book of 2010 Twelve days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley. Just really didn’t click with that one. Most Disappointing Book of 2010 Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel. I was SO excited to read this and everything about it disappointed me right down to our UK cover. Most Surprising Book of 2010 Actually have to say the book I just finished the last book of 2010 The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate I wasn’t sure what I was going to make of it but I really enjoyed it. Review will be coming in 2011! Best Series Discovered in 2010 The Perfect Chemistry series by Simone Elkeles those Fuentes boys are damn fine! Can’t wait for the last book Chain Reaction in 2011 *fan girl squee* Favourite New Authors you Discovered in 2010 Simone Elkeles, Lauren Oliver, Lauren Kate, Tabitha Suzuma to name a few. Most Hilarious Read of 2010 Either Looking for Alaska by John Green or City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. Plenty of LOL’s with those books. Most Thrilling, Unputdownable Book in 2010 Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead I have nothing but love for that book. Book You Most Anticipated in 2010 Again Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead and it didn’t disappoint. Like at all. Favourite Cover of a Book you Read in 2010 Holy smokes this one’s hard! Probably Fallen by Lauren Kate Most Memorable Character in 2010 Alex and Carlos Fuentes & Rose and Dimitri from Vampire Academy I can’t choose between them and you won’t make me! Most Beautifully Written Book in 2010 Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly such a gorgeously told story. Book That Had The Greatest Impact on You in 2010 Definitely has to be Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. That book just completely changes the way you think and rips your heart out. Book You Can't Believe You Waited Until 2010 to Read The Mortal Instruments series for sure- I still need to read City of Glass! Favourite Review That You Wrote in 2010 Either the review I wrote for Forbidden or Revolution. I put a lot of thought into them and they’ve had so much positive feedback. Best Moment of Book Blogging in 2010 So many. It’s been my first year of blogging so all of it’s been incredible. Getting followers and finding out that people are actually interested in my opinions. Getting picked up by publishers to review their books. Getting signed books from favourite authors. Interacting with so many wonderful bloggers and authors. Getting to meet fellow book blogger and good friend Ellie for the first time. All of it’s just been fantastic! New Favourite Book Blog You Discovered in 2010 With it being my first year as a blogger all of the blogs I’ve discovered have been wonderful and new to me. My personal favourites and the bloggers that made me feel so welcome though are Ellie & Rach (duh) Leanna, Luisa, Amanda, Vicki, Lyndsey and Ginger. I’ve come to know and love these girls’ lots :)

Review for Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

" “I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them... turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please. ” Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a shelf in her favourite bookshop, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept them. But is Dash that right guy? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?" Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares is my first book by co-authors Rachel Cohn and David Levithan and I have to admit I was a little bit reluctant about picking up one of their books despite hearing good things about them. I read Rachel Cohn’s You Know Where to Find Me last year and absolutely hated it so I was in no hurry to pick up another of her books not even a co-authored one. However when I heard the wonderfully bookish, Christmassy sounding synopsis for this book I decided to put it on my wish list and to my delight my brother got it me for Christmas. I read this over the holidays and actually rather enjoyed it! Cohn and Levithan are two writers who really bring out the best in each other. I’m not sure if I’d enjoy their work separately- as was the case with the Cohn book- but I really enjoyed their writing together, both providing brilliant chapters. Each chapter is told alternately through Dash and Lily’s point of view. Levithan writing Dash’s chapters and Cohn Lily’s. Both authors voices were distinctive whilst also fitting nicely together, making the story entertaining and hugely readable. I really loved both Dash and Lily and found they really balanced each other out with Dash being a brooding, bookish loner and Lily a chipper, fun loving kind of girl. I thought that they made a very sweet couple to read about and I also had a soft spot for Dash’s best friend Boomer whom I personally think should have a book of his own! The characters were great and I really enjoyed my time with them. What I loved most about this book though was the plot. Book nerds everywhere will appreciate Dash and Lily’s bookish romantic adventure and with it being set at Christmas time it made for a heart-warming holiday read. The only thing that let this book down for me was the ending. I found it to be very anti climactic and turned the last page expecting more. It was a little hurried for my liking and I’d maybe of liked more of a romantic finish. I can’t quiet put my finger on what I didn’t like about it other than I was a little disappointed and found that it was lacking the big grand finale that I was expecting. After reading Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares I’m definitely going to be checking out more books by this author duo because if Dash and Lily is anything to go by they make an excellent writing team and can produce one hell of a book! Still not sure if I’ll be checking them out separately though but you can bet that I- like so many bookish people who have read this book- will be searching my local bookshops looking for my own red notebook romance! Recommended to anybody looking for an original, fun, bookish adventure. My Rating 4/5 stars **** Synopsis taken from goodreads