The 5th Wave Blog Tour: My Survival Pack, Audio Extract, Trailer and How to Win a Signed Copy!

Welcome to my stop on The 5th Wave global blog tour! The 5th Wave is not only one of my favourite books of this year but one of my new all-time favourites, so I’m really honoured to be one of the blogs from around the world selected for this tour.

First of all if The 5th Wave isn’t on your radar yet I urge you to stop what you are doing right now and check out my review here to get a better picture on what this amazing book is about and to hear my thoughts on what makes it so mind blowingly good, then when you’re done come back to this post as I have four exciting things to share with you today!

The Trailer 

Find out more about the waves that shatter our world in this trailer! 

Listen to an Audio Extract! 

What I’d Pack if I Was a Survivor 

• Books on Survival, First Aid, Plants and their Properties etc: 

Admittedly I know very little about survival in the wild, how to heal certain injuries, which plants are poisonous or good for healing etc. so I feel like these books would be vital to my survival. Plus how many characters get snuffed out over something as simple as not knowing if a plant is poisonous or how to properly dress and clean an infection? 

• As many none perishable food items and bottles of water that I can carry along with water purifying tablets. 

• My copy of The 5th Wave 

To feel less alone and for some helpful tips and tricks! 

• First Aid Kit 

• Matches

 No rubbing sticks together for me! 

• Basic hygiene supplies 

• A journal and pens 

I need to write to keep sane. And I’d like to think if my time was up somebody would find it one day and learn our history if there were any survivors. 

• Photos of my family 

• Sleeping bag, tent, blanket 

• As many knifes as I could carry

• Solar torch 

• A change of clothes and sewing kit 

• My phone 

In The 5th Wave power is gone and a phone would be useless but I’d like to keep mine in case the power ever came back on. It may be a way of contacting people I used to know when this is all over. 

• Compass and Map 

 Win One of Ten Signed Copies of The 5th Wave! 

Listen closely to the audio extracts on each tour stop to find the answer to the following question: What is Cassie's Name Short For? Got the answer? Email it to: puffin@penguin.co.uk with the subject heading '5th Wave Comp' by Monday, May 20th 2013. 

 Find Out More About The 5th Wave www.the5thwaveiscoming.com 

Be sure to check out the banner in my sidebar for the rest of the stops on this tour!

Review for The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Publisher: Penguin
Release: 7th May 2013
Genre: Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Apocalypse, YA, Survival
Source: Received from the publishers in exchange for an honest review 



Review 
In The 5th Wave Rick Yancey creates a gripping and thought provoking future of our world shattered after an Alien apocalypse. We humans live a free and fairly safe existence being the most intelligent life form but what if there was something out there more intelligent and advanced than ourselves? What if our minds were to them what an animal’s mind is to us? Could you imagine a world where we were no longer the most powerful beings? In this clever and enthralling survival story author Ricky Yancey examines the human condition.

“We’re here, and then we’re gone, and it’s not about the time we’re here, but what we do with the time.” ― Rick Yancey, The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave is about intelligent, scheming, Aliens. When they first arrive in the Earth’s atmosphere the mothership does nothing but hover for a while leaving the world in a state of suspense to wonder who the Aliens are and what they’re here for. Little do they know that the Aliens are plotting a series of waves that will wipe out humanity yet leave Earth in one piece. The 1st wave hits at the things we’ve come to depend on the most: Electricity, power, batteries. All technology is cut off. The 2nd wave is Tsunamis large enough to wipe most countries out entirely. The 3rd wave is an airborne virus deadly to all but those who carry a natural immunity. The 4th wave is Alien assassins picking off the last few survivors. And the 5th wave is coming…

Rick Yancey’s world building is some of the best I’ve come across in a long time and I quickly became immersed in this believable future. The book is full of action and suspense and mind blowing twists that I didn’t see coming at all. As well as The 5th Wave being a gripping thriller it’s also incredibly thoughtful and beautifully written. There were so many passages of this novel that I fell in love with. Rick Yancey is a wonderfully skilful writer.

“Some things you can never leave behind. They don't belong to the past. They belong to you.” ― Rick Yancey, The 5th Wave

Where this book is strong in plot it is equally strong in its characters, there were so many who captured my heart! The book is told from several characters narrative and although at the start it is a little confusing as there isn’t any indication that the point of view has switched over you do soon get used to it when you figure out who everybody is and the figuring out only adds to the mystery of the book. Once I became used to the way this story is told I really appreciated how each character offers you a different vantage point to view the affect the Alien invasion has had on earth. At first you’re not sure how these seemingly random characters connect but all is made clear as the book goes on.

I loved all of the characters in this book but my absolute favourites were Cassie, Ben, Ringer and Sammy. Cassie and Ringer are two really strong, kick-ass, female leads. I especially loved Cassie with her black humour and snark that actually had me sniggering away despite the bleak situation. Ben’s chapters were my favourite. I loved his little crew at the camp and how protective he was of little Sammy, I also felt like he grew the most as a character. Sammy was simply adorable and I wanted to protect him from all of the horrors of his world. The things he had to go through as a five year old broke my heart!

“But if I'm it, the last of my kind, the last page of human history, like hell I'm going to let the story end this way. I may be the last one, but I am the one still standing. I am the one turning to face the faceless hunter in the woods on an abandoned highway. I am the one not running but facing. Because if I am the last one, then I am humanity. And if this is humanity's last war, then I am the battlefield.” ― Cassie, The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey.

Basically if you’re a human and you enjoy reading to some extent you should check out this book. I could gush about how good it is all day long. The hype surrounding this book is totally justified and it has become a new all-time favourite of mine. The 5th Wave is up there with the very best of the Sci-Fi and Dystopian genre and although it had a nice solid ending I am still left desperate for more to find out what happens next.

Letterbox Love (26) I Got Quoted in a Book!

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

 For Review

 
Proof Copy Bind-Up of Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
The UK are getting the US version and name (formerly known as The Gathering Dark) of Shadow and Bone re-issued along with the publication of the second book Siege and Storm so the two have been put together in this proof for bloggers to review. I already read and LOVED Shadow and Bone when it was first released so I'm looking forward to reading Siege and Storm really soon!
Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud (Proof Copy, Signed)
I've heard next to nothing about this one but it sounds pretty good and my copy is signed!
Love Is a Number by Lee Monroe (Proof Copy)
This looks like a really unique contemporary and I'm really looking forward to reading it.
Taking Chances by Molly McAdams
From Ashes by Molly McAdams
I've heard really mixed things about this series. People either seem to love it or hate it! The overall rating on Goodreads is very good though so I'm eager to give them a read and I'm hoping I'll enjoy them.

 
Doll Bones by Holly Black
I don't usually read middle grade books but have been known to make an exception when a book sounds really good and this one sounds really good! A doll made up of the bones of a murdered girl? Sounds creepy!
Dare You To by Katie McGarry
I'm a HUGE fan of McGarry's Pushing the Limits so I was thrilled to receive this one and even more thrilled when I opened it up to find out I had been quoted inside!
AKA: Spy Society by Robin Benway
Robin Benway's Audrey, Wait! Is one of my favourite books of all time so I'm very excited to read this new one from her especially with it being about spies.
Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson
I've been waiting for this sequel to Ultraviolet for years! I'm so chuffed to finally have a copy. Although, it's been so long since I read the first book that I think a re-read is in order before I pick up this one.

 My Quote in Dare You To

   

This is the third time I've been quoted in a book now but it's still just as exciting to get chosen as it was the first time. Especially when it's for a book you really love! 

Won

I won all of these beauties from Michelle at Fluttering Butterflies UKYA Giveaway, thank you!
Finding Cherokee Brown by Siobhan Curham
By Any Other Name by Laura Jarratt
Geek Girl by Holly Smale (Signed Copy)
Night School: Legacy by C.J. Daugherty

These are all of the lovely new books that found themselves a new home on my shelves over the past two weeks. If any of these books have caught your eye and you’d like to find out more about them simply click on the title and the link will take you to Goodreads for a full synopsis, reviews, and to add them to your wishlists. As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you’re looking forward to a certain book in particular and want to request a review feel free to in the comments and I’ll do my best to get around to the book sooner rather than later. And if you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^

 Happy reading till next time!

Review for Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown

Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown 
Publisher: Little Brown (US)
Release: May 21st 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Source: Borrowed from Jasprit @ The Readers Den

Goodreads Summary: 

"Ashleigh's boyfriend, Kaleb, is about to leave for college, and Ashleigh is worried that he'll forget about her while he's away. So at a legendary end-of-summer pool party, Ashleigh's friends suggest she text him a picture of herself -- sans swimsuit -- to take with him. Before she can talk herself out of it, Ashleigh strides off to the bathroom, snaps a photo in the full-length mirror, and hits "send."

But when Kaleb and Ashleigh go through a bad breakup, Kaleb takes revenge by forwarding the text to his baseball team. Soon the photo has gone viral, attracting the attention of the school board, the local police, and the media. As her friends and family try to distance themselves from the scandal, Ashleigh feels completely alone -- until she meets Mack while serving her court-ordered community service. Not only does Mack offer a fresh chance at friendship, but he's the one person in town who received the text of Ashleigh's photo -- and didn't look.

Acclaimed author Jennifer Brown brings readers a gripping novel about honesty and betrayal, redemption and friendship, attraction and integrity, as Ashleigh finds that while a picture may be worth a thousand words . . . it doesn't always tell the whole story."

Review 
Jennifer Brown is an author whose books have always sounded interesting to me but I’ve never actually took the plunge and read one. So when my blogger friend Jasprit offered to lend me her latest novel Thousand Words I jumped at the chance to finally check this author out.

Thousand Words covers the subject of teen sexting. Ashleigh and Kaleb’s relationship has been rocky all summer with Kaleb making plans to go off to college. With the pressure of Kaleb being away and surrounded by experienced college girls Ashleigh worries that they will grow apart. After being drunkenly encouraged by her friends Ashleigh snaps a naked picture of herself which she sends to Kaleb. For a while the photo seems to bring them closer together but when Kaleb goes to college the cracks in their relationship re-appear and after a nasty break-up Kaleb sends the picture to his friends. As well as being publicly humiliated it seems like everybody has something to say about the picture and have their own ideas on who Ashleigh is as a person. But whilst a picture speaks a thousand words it doesn’t tell the whole story or define who somebody is, and this is Ashleigh’s story behind the picture.

The book is told in a past and present narrative from Ashleigh’s point of view. Before, tells the story of that fateful day when Ashleigh takes the picture and follows how everything so disastrously fell apart. And the present day is Ashleigh serving her community service as she is prosecuted for child pornography for taking the picture of herself. I loved how this story was told and although I preferred the past chapters and seeing how everything went down I also enjoyed reading about Ashleigh picking herself back up again and claiming back her life and dignity in the present.

One of the things I found really refreshing about Thousand Words is the lack of a love story. A Young Adult book without a love story? You say. Yes. I was shocked too. So at the start there is Ashleigh and Kaleb’s relationship but ain’t nothing romantic about that boy! At times I wondered if a romance would blossom between Ashleigh and Mack – a guy she meets at community service who didn’t look at her picture – but Mack is just a friend who helps Ashleigh reclaim her life. I loved the lack of a romantic interest and appreciated this story of standing up for yourself and forgiveness instead, it was certainly something different!

Overall Thousand Words offers up something completely different in the YA Contemporary market and I was captivated by Ashleigh’s unique story and her journey to redemption. Jennifer Brown blurs the lines between victim and offender making Thousand Words a thought provoking novel that I really enjoyed. After reading this book I’m definitely eager to read more from this author!

April Round-Up and Book of the Month

April's Book of the Month is Soulmates by Holly Bourne 

So April was a bit of a mixed month reading wise for me with far too many 3 star average books for my liking. I wasn't having the best of months and then I picked up Soulmates and was completely captivated! Soulmates is a British Contemporary debut with a Sci-Fi twist and I absolutely loved it! I was lucky enough to read a very early proof copy so unfortunately this one isn't out until September but it is one you definitely want to pre-order or at least add to your wishlists. This book saved me from going into a massive reading slump and from this month being a totally rubbish reading month. If you're a fan of authors such as C.J. Skuse and Cat Clarke you will LOVE Holly Bourne's writing style. My review won't be up until closer to publication but I'd really recommend you all checking this one out on Goodreads to find out more!

 

*** There is kissing and crazy weather galore! ***

 Read in April 
30.) Dear Thing by Julie Cohen (2*)
31.) Fractured by Teri Terry (4.5*)
32.) Radiant by Cynthia Hand (3*)
33.) Boundless by Cynthia Hand (4*)
34.) The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult (3*)
35.) This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith (3.5*)
36.) The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa (4*)
37.) Soulmates by Holly Bourne (5*)
38.) The Prince by Kiera Cass (3*)
39.) What Really Happened in Peru by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan (3*) 

April Book Awards
Best Plot: Fractured by Teri Terry
Best Writing: Soulmates by Holly Bourne
Best Cover: The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Best Characters: What Really Happened in Peru by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan
Best Ending: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Best Romance: Boundless by Cynthia Hand
Most un-put-down-able: Soulmates by Holly Bourne
Most Memorable: The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Best Moral: Soulmates by Holly Bourne

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: Soulmates, Fractured, Boundless

Books I’m Looking Forward to Reading/Being Released in May
French Kiss: Diary of a Crush by Sarra Manning
Angelfall by Susan Ee
Follow Me Down by Tanya Byrne
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher
Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements 
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

 May looks like it's going to be a fantastic month for books! How was your month in reading? Did you read any of the books I’ve read? What are you looking forward to reading in May?