Review: Fallout (Louis Lane #1) by Gwenda Bond

Lois Lane is starting a new life in Metropolis. An Army brat, Lois has lived all over—and seen all kinds of things. (Some of them defy explanation, like the near-disaster she witnessed in Kansas in the middle of one night.) But now her family is putting down roots in the big city, and Lois is determined to fit in. Stay quiet. Fly straight. As soon as she steps into her new high school, though, she can see it won’t be that easy. A group known as the Warheads is making life miserable for another girl at school. They’re messing with her mind, somehow, via the high-tech immersive videogame they all play. Not cool. Armed with her wit and her new snazzy job as a reporter, Lois has her sights set on solving this mystery. But sometimes it’s all a bit much. Thank goodness for her maybe-more-than-a friend, a guy she knows only by his screenname, SmallvilleGuy.

I have been a little unlucky with my choices of books lately, so I was worried about picking this one up. I have won it, for review, on twitter from @mazimumpopbooks and @maximumpop and I had to get onto it as it was due my review in a short while. Well let me tell you, I am so glad I won this. At a time where I have lost a little bit of faith in my own reading, this has really perked me up.

Growing up around superman really, weather it was the movies or the original series or even the more recent one Smallville, I have always been familiar with the character of Louis Lane. Don't get me wrong I wasn't a huge fan or anything, but for many years you couldn't really miss superman. So I have expected something very similar. But what I got is something rather different.

Louis Lane moves about a lot because her dad is in the military. She finds herself in some kind of trouble in most schools, while her heart is always in the right place her ideas are always a little risky. On her first day at her new school in Metropolis Louis finds herself questioning her new school principle and lands herself a little job. Its a project, giving young journalists a chance to work for a paper. After witnessing a really strange group of kids bullying a girl and the principal not doing anything about it, Louis things she has just the right story to report.

However the group that calls themselves Warheads aren't your average group of bullies. Not only do they bully this girl in real life but also in a very high tech videogame. But that's not even the strangest thing, they all seem to know what the others think, moving in sync, finishing each others sentences and basically looking alike. What else will Louis discover?

This book isn't just about bullying but also about making new friends, about finding something you love and are good at. Its about uncovering the truth no matter the cost.

It is lovely to get to know a very young Louis Lane, to discover how her love for journalism started. I really enjoyed her being the hero and not being in superman's shadow for a change. That was a great twist and I think it made for a great main character. However I also loved how the author has managed to sneak superman in there.


All in all this has been a great read, it flowed nice and easy and I found myself picking this book up as much as I could. Weather you are familiar with Louis Lane or not I am sure you will enjoy this, especially if you like YA anyway. I must admit I haven't heard about this book until I have won it, so I really hope it will get a little more hype and sells lots. Most of all because I really want to read the next one.

Thank you @maximumpopbooks and @maximumpop for this amazing prize in exchange for my honest opinion.

WWW Wednesday (10th February)

 WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What I am reading now...

Blurb: I was dead for 13 minutes.

I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal.

They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?


I have recently finished...

Blurb: Lois Lane is starting a new life in Metropolis. An Army brat, Lois has lived all over—and seen all kinds of things. (Some of them defy explanation, like the near-disaster she witnessed in Kansas in the middle of one night.) But now her family is putting down roots in the big city, and Lois is determined to fit in. Stay quiet. Fly straight. As soon as she steps into her new high school, though, she can see it won’t be that easy. A group known as the Warheads is making life miserable for another girl at school. They’re messing with her mind, somehow, via the high-tech immersive videogame they all play. Not cool. Armed with her wit and her new snazzy job as a reporter, Lois has her sights set on solving this mystery. But sometimes it’s all a bit much. Thank goodness for her maybe-more-than-a friend, a guy she knows only by his screenname, SmallvilleGuy.


I plan on reading next...

Blurb: Nineteen twenty-two. Grace has been sent to the stately and crumbling Fenix House to follow in her grandmother's footsteps as a governess. But when she meets the house's inhabitants, people who she had only previously heard of in stories, the cracks in her grandmother's tale begin to show. Secrets appear to live in the house's very walls and everybody is resolutely protecting their own.

Why has she been sent here? Why did her grandmother leave after just one summer? And as the past collides with the present, can Grace unravel these secrets and discover who her grandmother, and who she, really is?

Blurb: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Blurb: Grief turned Jaycee into a daredevil, but can she dare to deal with her past?

On the anniversary of her daredevil brother's death, Jaycee attempts to break into Jake's favorite hideout—the petrifying ruins of an insane asylum. Joined by four classmates, each with their own brand of dysfunction, Jaycee discovers a map detailing her brother's exploration and the unfinished dares he left behind.

As a tribute to Jake, Jaycee vows to complete the dares, no matter how terrifying or dangerous. What she doesn't bargain on is her eccentric band of friends who challenge her to do the unthinkable: reveal the parts of herself that she buried with her brother.

Review: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Now this is strange... I have had a extended extract of this book a while back and I have reviewed this part of the book already. So all I can add now is how I feel about the rest of the book. And if you like you can look up my other review of this book on my blog.

There is no way to tell you how much I have enjoyed this book. This had so much hype I was worried it was overpraised and didn't quite reach my expectations. But it even exceeded those. The Witchlands are a new and exciting world, taking the topic on witches to a completely new level, one that has never been done before. What exceptional world building skills, wow. I cant even begin to imagine where else this story might take us.

I love the characters so so much. I love how this isn't about just the one normal and boring girl that ends up being the heroin, but about two girls who have a friendship/sisterhood like no other. Two girls, amazing in completely different ways, that would die for each other.

I am also a huge fan of the very gentle and slow way of a bit of a love story building in this book. Its not one that's right in your face and that takes over the whole book. But one that happens in a adorable way and allows the story to continue in an undisturbed way. I am absolutely giddy to read more about this in the coming books.

This book is not only magical it is incredibly stunning. Its a page turner, with every chapter filled with a different adventure, it never gets boring or slows down. A must read for any YA or phantasy fan. I am proud to have this stunning hardback on my bookshelf now.

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #6

Weekly Wrap Up...

I have finished two books this week, which is my average really but I was hoping to manage more. Most of all because one was just a half book really...

The first book I have finished this week is Rebels of the Sands and OMG I loved this one so so much. The review is up already on my blog...

Blurb: She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

The second book I have finished is Truthwitch, I have had an extended extract of it before, which was almost half of the book. So in this case it was just about me finishing the book. I still loved it as much as I did the extract.

Blurb: On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Stacking the Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

The first book added to my bookshelf this week is The Sin Eaters Daughter. I am a bit late to this party but it was on offer so I just had to get it, a little treat for myself.

Blurb:
I am the perfect weapon.
I kill with a single touch.

Twylla is blessed. The Gods have chosen her to marry a prince, and rule the kingdom. But the favour of the Gods has it's price. A deadly poison infuses her skin. Those who anger the queen must die under Twylla's fatal touch.

Only Lief, an outspoken new guard, can see past Twylla's chilling role to the girls she truly is.

Yet in a court as dangerous and the queen's, some truths should not be told...


The Second book is the physical copy of Jihadi: A love story! I have had it on my kindle but wow, the physical book is so so pretty. I am currently reading this book too. Thank you to the wonderful Karen at Orenda Books.

Blurb: A former intelligence agent stands accused of terrorism, held without charge in a secret overseas prison. His memoir is in the hands of a psychologist with her own agenda, and her annotations paint a much darker picture. As the story unravels, we are forced to assess the truth for ourselves, and decide not only what really happened, but who is the real terrorist. Peopled by a diverse and unforgettable cast of characters, whose reliability as narrators is always questioned, and with a multi-layered plot heaving with unexpected and often shocking developments, Jihadi: A Love Story is an intelligent thriller that asks big questions.

And the third book I have received is You Send Me A Letter. This sounds so so intriguing I cant wait to read it. Thank you Corvus Publishing for my copy.

Blurb: What if your worst enemy found out your darkest secret?

At 2 a.m. on the morning of her 40th birthday, Sophie wakes to find an intruder in her bedroom. The intruder hands Sophie a letter and issues a threat: open the letter at her party that evening, in front of family and friends, at exactly 8 p.m., or those she loves will be in grave danger.

What can the letter possibly contain?

This will be no ordinary party; Sophie is not the only person keeping a secret about the evening ahead. When the clock strikes eight, the course of several people's lives will be altered forever.

Review: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

Wow now this has been a total breath of fresh air. Deep in the desert is where Amani grew up. In a world where you are already worth nothing when born a girl, she has even less. Living with her auntie and uncle because she has no parents of her own. But she is different. She doesn't want to get married, she wants so much more for herself.

The small desert village has a factory, one that produces guns and gunpowder and Amani knows exactly how to use one. To get away from that village and into the big city her mother spoke of she pretends to be a boy and enters a shoot out. But things don't go as planned and she looses the money she invests. However this is where she meets Jin for the first time.

Soon after she finds herself having to hide Jin from the military in her uncles shop, because of this she finds herself and her friend in danger. Jin saves her and they run away together. From that point on they find themselves on different adventures through the endless desert, with the deserts magic, djinni's and ghouls. But is there much more to Jin then meets the eye? Who is he really and what is he hiding?

Eventually Amani finds herself among the Rebels, now she will have to choose if she wants to go on by herself or join their rebellion. Whichever way she will go, what will she discover about herself on the way? 

I am so so excited about this book. It's so different from anything I have ever read before. I loved the desert and all its magic. The world building has been incredible and the character are superb. I love when a book in this genre can still surprise me. The Characters are so well thought out. Most of all I am in love with Jin. He goes to this mysterious Bandit to so much more. But we can't forget Amani. What a strong young lady, one that has a dream and wants to go and make it happen by herself.

What is absolutely jaw dropping is that this is Hamilton's debut!! What great writing, I am certainly a new fan. If this is what the debut novel looks like, I cant wait to read what comes next from Hamilton.

And hellooooo beautiful cover, I think I am in love! This cover would stand out on anyones bookshelf. I know for a fact I would have picked it up even without knowing about this book before.

I couldn't finish it quick enough. So many great thinks have happened and the best of all... it seems like there will be more books to come. All in all this has been an incredible read.

Stunning, Magical and absolutely unforgettable.

Thank you to Net Galley for granting my wish. I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rebels of the Sands is out today, 4th February in the UK and 8th March in the USA.  

WWW Wednesday (3rd February)

 WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I am currently reading...

Blurb: A former intelligence agent stands accused of terrorism, held without charge in a secret overseas prison. His memoir is in the hands of a psychologist with her own agenda, and her annotations paint a much darker picture. As the story unravels, we are forced to assess the truth for ourselves, and decide not only what really happened, but who is the real terrorist. Peopled by a diverse and unforgettable cast of characters, whose reliability as narrators is always questioned, and with a multi-layered plot heaving with unexpected and often shocking developments, Jihadi: A Love Story is an intelligent thriller that asks big questions.

I have recently finished...

Blurb: She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

Blurb: On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

I plan on reading next...

Blurb: An unforgettable and addictive story, perfect for fans of Lesley Thomson, Diane Chamberlain and Tracy Buchanan.

Blurb: I was dead for 13 minutes.

I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal.

They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?

Blurb: Nineteen twenty-two. Grace has been sent to the stately and crumbling Fenix House to follow in her grandmother's footsteps as a governess. But when she meets the house's inhabitants, people who she had only previously heard of in stories, the cracks in her grandmother's tale begin to show. Secrets appear to live in the house's very walls and everybody is resolutely protecting their own.

Why has she been sent here? Why did her grandmother leave after just one summer? And as the past collides with the present, can Grace unravel these secrets and discover who her grandmother, and who she, really is?

Review: Another Love by Amanda Prowse

In the early years of their love affair, Romilly was happy. She had worked hard for her stunning, modern house in one of Bristol's most fashionable suburbs. She adored her gorgeous, gap-toothed daughter and her handsome, kind husband. Sure, life was sometimes exhausting - but nothing that a large glass of wine at the end of the day couldn't fix.

And then a new neighbour arrived and everything unravelled. A glass of wine became a bottle; one bottle became two. Romilly's family were once everything to her. Now, after years of hiding the drinking, she must finally admit that she has found another love...

This has been a really emotional one. Most of the book is from the perspective of Romilly and some bits from the perspective of her daughter, who remembers her childhood. Romilly has it all, the perfect husband, a great job, a nice big house and a beautiful little daughter. And still she finds herself often with a glass of wine in her hand. At first you don't think much of it, because we all have a glass of wine here or there, right? But unfortunately, an occasional glass soon isn't enough for Romilly.

We see her falling deeper into alcoholism with every passing chapter. Often acting out or even neglecting her daughter. Her new friend and neighbour isn't helping either, making things rather worse. We experience her fight to get better and we see her lowest times.

What is even more heart breaking was reading the daughters point of view. Her very painful memories of her mother and how everything affected her.

How far does one have to fall before they realise they need help?

This has been a very devastating and heart breaking read. Its not something I would usually pick out but I was very much hooked from the start. The author has described alcoholism in such a real, raw and painful way it was making me incredible sad for this women and her family. It opened my eyes and reminded me that this is an illness, an illness that could happen to anyone. It doesn't matter if you have a nice and fulfilled life or not.

Watching this family fall apart was breaking my heart. In this the husband has been an absolute hero and my favourite character. Amazing!

From the first page I couldn't put this book down, tissues at the ready at all times. Emotional, heart breaking, captivating and raw. I rather enjoyed it a lot.

I did however almost expect a different end, so when this one came I was a little: oooooh! But I wont spoil that one for you.

Thank you to Amanda and Simeon Prowse for my proof copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another Love will be published in hardcover on the 11th Feb!