Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly: Special Post and Giveaway

Hi Guys! If you've followed this blog for a long, long time then you'll know that I absolutely love Jennifer Donnelly. Her latest book Deep Blue sees Jennifer take a change of direction in genre as instead of Historical Fiction this book is all about Mermaids. With the UK publication date coming up on May 1st the publishers have put a very exciting post together for me to share with you along with a very cool giveaway! Firstly lets get to know a little bit more about the book...



When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be about reuniting with handsome Prince Mahdi, her childhood crush. Instead she finds herself haunted by strange dreams foretelling the return of an ancient evil, and dealing with the deaths of her parents as assassins storm the betrothal ceremony, plunging the city into chaos.
Led only by her shadowy dreams and pursued by the invading army, Serafina and her best friend Neela embark on a quest to avenge her parents' death and prevent a war between the mer nations. In the process they discover a plot that threatens their - and our - world's very existence.


MEET THE CHARACTERS 
 Four thousand years ago, six wise rulers with mystical powers oversaw the golden realm of Atlantis. When an evil force overtook the mythical island, sinking it into the sea, Merrow, the leader of the ancients, beseeched the gods to grant her drowning people the power to breathe underwater. Those who survived, their legs magically fused into tail fins, formed an undersea civilization called The Mer. 

 From their Mediterranean realm, five others grew to form six undersea nations, led for generations by descendants of the ancient Circle of Six. Now, the evil forces that consumed Atlantis threaten destruction once again. The Mer nations’ only hope lies with six teenagers, descended from the ancient rulers, who’ve inherited their magical powers. Together, they form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood to save their worlds. 

Serafina 
Loyal, brave, just, and strong—with copper brown hair, bright green eyes, and a nascent gift more powerful than all the others—Serafina is descended from the ancient ruler Merrow. Heir to the original civilization of Merfolk, Sera has been raised with the expectation that one day, she’ll be their ruler. When the undersea nations come under threat and Sera’s mother, Queen Isabella, is poisoned, Sera’s destiny leaps to meet her. She must embark on a journey to find and vanquish the evil forces at work. Her powerful magic—the gift of a love so powerful she would sacrifice herself for those around her—will guide her as she leads the mermaids in their quest. By her side is her best friend Neela… 

Neela 
Sassy and daring, with a non-stop sweet-tooth, jet-black hair to her tail fin, and a bioluminescent body that emanates a bright blue light, Neela is descended from Navi, ancient ruler of the waters of India, a kind and good-hearted leader who used her riches to build hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the poor. It was said Navi could hold light in her hands as well as her heart, pulling down beams from the sun and moon and stars and bending them to her will. She gave her people hope in their darkest hours. Neela, able to create and throw powerful formations of light, is the intrepid inheritor of these gifts. 

Ling 
With a gentle but powerful nature and a keen intellect she’s not afraid to show, Ling—with almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, and a sword in a scabbard slung over her back—is descended from Sycorax, who ruled from the shores of the Qin in China. An omnivorax, Sycorax spoke the languages of all creatures—people, animals, birds, flowers and trees. She was Atlantis’ supreme justice, a peace- keeper and negotiator of treaties between realms. Ling is the able and ready inheritor of these gifts. 

Becca 
Fierce and quick—with curly red hair, blue eyes, and a smattering of freckles—Becca is descended from Pyrrha, who ruled the shores of Atlantica, the ancient realm between South America and Africa. Pyrrha was a brilliant and strategic military commander, but she was also an artisan—a blacksmith who could bid fire. She had a forge on Atlantis where she transformed farm tools into weapons; when her people came under attack, Pyrrha saved her people with her quick thinking. Becca, her descendant, will do the same. 

Ava 
Wise, witty, frank and prescient—with glossy black braids, deep brown scales, sunglasses, and a guide-pet piranha she keeps on a leash—Ava is descended from Nyx who ruled the fresh waters that flowed from the Mississippi River. Nyx was blind, but he could feel things he could not see. He never flinched from what he felt, or from speaking his visions truthfully. The magic bestowed him by the gods strengthened his gift and transformed it into prophecy. Ava is the knowing inheritor of this gift of prescience and foresight. 

Astrid 
Headstrong, bold, and possessed of a deep well of magical power, Astrid—with cascades and braids of white-blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and the black and white markings of an orca—is descended from Orfeo, who ruled the arctic waters around Greenland. A musician who played the lyre to soothe the sick and suffering, he was a healer whose people loved him. Of the six who ruled Atlantis, his powers were unsurpassed. But it was Orfeo who mysteriously defected from the Circle of Six, unleashing a monster of his own creation whose wrath destroyed Atlantis. Like her father, Astrid turns away from the group. Unlike her father, she will rejoin them…but not until she tests them first. 

 Watch the Trailer



Giveaway 
To celebrate the release of Deep Blue the publishers are giving away a very special prize pack to one of my UK/ Ireland readers. Here's what you could win!


The prize includes a hardback copy of Deep Blue, a shell bracelet and Guylian chocolates in an organza gift bag. Simply read the rules and fill in the Rafflecopter to be in with a chance of winning. Good luck! 

 Giveaway Rules 
 To enter please fill in the Rafflecopter 
 Open to UK/ Ireland residents only 
 End date: 7th May 2014 
 One winner will be drawn and will be contacted by email with 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected


Monday, 28 April 2014

Review for Tease by Amanda Maciel

Tease by Amanda Maciel 
Publisher: Hodder Children's
Release: 1st May 2014
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Bullying
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review




Synopsis: 
"Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think when Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community and the media. But Sara is sure she hasn't done anything wrong. Emma brought it on herself. Emma stole Sara's boyfriend. Emma stole everyone's boyfriends. Surely Sara was the victim, not Emma. During the summer before her senior year Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment - and ultimately consider her role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over."

Review
Before going into Tease it’s important to know a few things about it. Tease is a gritty and controversial look at bullying. Don’t pick this up expecting to fall in love with the characters – in fact you’re going to get frustrated with them and will want to throw this book across the room at times although I say that in the best possible way. Tease is an angsty read that raises important questions on topics such as mob mentality, slut shaming, peer pressure, bullying and the competitive and destructive relationships girls have with each other. It’s an incredibly important book that isn’t afraid to ask the big questions and gives you difficult answers that will make you think outside the box.

The book is told from Sara’s perspective, a girl who was part of a group whose bullying drove classmate Emma Putnam to suicide. Tease is told in alternating past and present chapters as we watch Sara go on trial for the abuse she showed Emma and also go back in time to see how the bullying began.

It was fascinating reading from a deliberately unlikeable characters point of view. At the start of the book I really disliked Sara and her casual slut shaming drove me mad but as we get to see past events I could begin to understand her hatred towards Emma. Amanda Maciel never excuses Sara’s actions but she does make you understand her reasons. What I loved about this book is that the victim Emma isn’t a particularly nice person either. She deliberately goes after Sara’s boyfriend and does her fair share of name calling. It was so interesting having a victim who wasn’t entirely innocent in all this herself.

Another thing I loved about Tease was how Amanda Maciel shows how easily Sara’s boyfriend Dylan gets away with everything. To me he was the worst character in this book and as the cheat was the one who’d done something wrong. Yet the girls, law and media never blamed him or held him accountable for his actions. It really disturbed me how the girls would rip and claw at each other and yet never think to blame Dylan. This story is happening between girls everywhere and I think that Amanda Maciel drove a very clever yet subtle message home about girls uniting and holding the guy who’s actually at fault responsible.

Overall Tease was a captivating read. It definitely offers up something different in YA and is like a grittier more important version of ‘Mean Girls’. It’s about how we make mistakes as teenagers and learn to become adults by taking responsibility for them. Teens and adults alike are certain to relate to the issues raised in Tease in one way or another. This reader certainly did.


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 
Blog design by Imagination Designs using images from the Valentine Owls and Valentine's Day clip art kits by Pink Pueblo