Erebos by Ursula Poznanski

Title:               Erebos
Author:           Ursula Poznanski
ISBN:              9781742379531
Publisher:       Allen & Unwin
Published:      2012
Age Group:    Young Adult

Synopsis:

  When 16-year-old Nick receives a package containing the mysterious computer game Erebos, he wonders if it will explain the behavior of his classmates, who have been secretive lately. Players of the game must obey strict rules: always play alone, never talk about the game, and never tell anyone your nickname.

Curious, Nick joins the game and quickly becomes addicted. But Erebos knows a lot about the players and begins to manipulate their lives. When it sends Nick on a deadly assignment, he refuses and is banished from the game.

Now unable to play, Nick turns to a friend for help in finding out who controls the game. The two set off on a dangerous mission in which the border between reality and the virtual world begins to blur.

My Thoughts:

As a gamer the concept of a game that ask you carry out tasks in the real world is rather intriguing and was essentially the first thing that grabbed me about this book. 
It starts of fairly slowly as Nick attempts to get his hands on a mysterious package that is circulating through his school. When Nick manages to obtain one of these packages he discovers it is a computer game, Erebos. As Nick progresses through the game the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur as the game asks him to perform simple but increasingly sinister tasks in the real world in order to advance in the game world.
Nick is a typical teenage boy, who falls victim to his own curiosity, peer pressure and the desire to succeed. Like most teens he is stubborn and dismisses the concerns of those who care about him with out a second thought. This makes him a charcter who is easy to relate to. 
As the story progresses and things start getting more sinister it becomes slightly frustrating that the characters don't just turn the game off and walk away, but this is kind of understandable if you consider the way that someone who is addicted would behave, sometimes it really isn't that easy to just walk away. The author has portrayed the addiction to gaming very realistically.
The only real issue I had with the book is the ending seemed to be very sudden, it just felt like it was rushed.
Overall an exciting page turner that will appeal to anyone who enjoys MMOs.

The Horses Didn't Come Home by Pamela Rushby

Title:                The Horses Didn't Come Home
Author:           Pamela Rushby
ISBN:              9780732293543
Publisher:       Harper Collins Australia
Published:      March 2012




Synopsis:

 The last great cavalry charge in history took place at Beersheba in the Sinai Desert in 1917. It was Australian soldiers and horses that took part in, and won, this amazing, unexpected, unorthodox victory. The men proudly claimed it was their great-hearted horses that won the day. But in the end, the horses didn't come home...

My Thoughts:

An inspiring story of courage and loyalty, The Horses Didn't Come Home, perfectly illustrates the remarkable bond between the Australian Light Horse soldiers and their mounts, while not forgetting the hope and heartbreak of the families that they left behind. 
Pamela Rushby has transformed the harsh reality of war into a heart moving tale that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. 
This is a fantastic story that should be on every schools reading list. 

ARC provided by Harper Collins Australia via NetGalley. 

The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Title:               The Way We Fall
Author:           Megan Crewe
ISBN:              9781742668253
Publisher:       Pier 9
Published:      January 2012
Age Group:    Young Adult

Synoposis:





When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.
Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.
Because how will she go on if there isn't?

My Thoughts:

I was expecting a lot more when I picked up this book. Don't get me wrong it was an enjoyable read but it was slow. The journal style format of it, while interesting, did not allow for enough character development to make me really care about them. I was also expecting a lot more raw emotion from a journal style book, but it seemed very calm and controlled for what would be such an emotional event.
It did pick up a in the middle of the book but the ending was very abrupt and left a lot of loose ends. I understand this is the first book in a series but it seemed as though nothing was actually resolved in the end of this book which was very frustrating.
Will I read the next book in the series? Probably, but I won't be rushing out to buy it on release day.

Bustin' The Newbie Blues

Busting the Newbie Blues is an event hosted by Small Review. The even runs throughout January, so I am a little late jumping on the bandwagon, but better late than never. To find out more check out Small Review .

My Questionnaire:

1. When did you start your blog? 

19th June 2011. I kind of jumped in feet first with no planning or any idea what I was going to do.

2. Why did you start your blog?

I began blogging to keep a track of what I had read and my thoughts about what I was reading, I have a terrible habit of forgetting what I have read so it seemed like a great way to keep track and possibly share my thoughts with others.

3. What is the biggest challenge you have face so far?

Getting followers. I am not up to speed with the whole networking side of things and I do find this to be the most challenging part.

4. What do you find most discouraging about being a new blogger?

Getting my ideas and thoughts into a post. I am not the best at translating ideas and thoughts on to paper but it is something I am determined to improve and as they say practice makes perfect!

5. What do you find most encouraging?

Comments, tweets, my little group of followers and the dupport from my family and friends it is all greatly appreciated and keeps me sane. I also find looking at other blogs to be encouraging and inspiring, there are just so many great blogs out there and if they can do it so can I!

6. What do you like best about the blogs you read?

I love difference in each blog I read. The unique voices and varied content.

7. What do you dislike about blogs you've read?

I really dislike background music on blogs (or any website for that matter). Also having to enter a code to post a comment.

8. Advice for other new bloggers.

Make sure you are blogging for yourself not because you think your followers or anyone else expects you to. Above all else have fun!

9. Questions for newbie or established bloggers.

What is the best way to find out information about upcoming releases?
How did you first approach publishers to request ARC's?

Tempest by Julie Cross

Title:               Tempest
Author:           Julie Cross
ISBN:              9781447206453
Publisher:       Macmillan Childrens Books
Published:      January 2012
Age Group:    Young Adult

Synopsis:

 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.

My Thoughts:

I really wanted to love this book and I am certain there are a lot of people out there that will love it.

It took me longer than I would have liked to finish this book. I picked it up because I loved the concept behind the book, but I ultimately found the way it was written to be confusing and at time frustrating, this may have something to do with my bad habit of never reading chapter titles. 
The action starts very early into the book, which isn't a bad thing, but I felt it lacked the initial 'getting to know you' stage and as a result I found it difficult to relate to or care about the characters.
Despite all that there were some action fuelled scenes that were well placed and managed to keep me turning the pages long enough to finish the book.
. 
Will I read the sequel? Maybe. I am interested to find out more about the mysterious red-headed little girl. 

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Title:               Fracture
Author:           Megan Miranda
ISBN:              9780802723093
Publisher:       Bloomsbury Publishing
Published:      January 2012
Age Group:    Young Adult


Synopsis:

 Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine - despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?
 
Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?


My Thoughts:

I found the concept behind this book to be a refreshing change and an intriguing idea. The atmospheric writing style really drew me into this book and although I found the characters a bit hard to relate to, the confusion and emotion surrounding such an experience was realistic and well written.
My favourite character would have to be Troy. I really enjoyed slowly discovering that he was not just a typical 'bad boy' type but in fact was extremely creepy even though he seemed to think he was doing the right thing.
I found the relationship between Delaney and Decker particularly frustrating and was repeatedly wishing that they would just stop lying to each other and get their act together.
The ending was satisfying but felt a little rushed. Overall it was enjoyable and refreshing to read a paranormal novel without any paranormal creatures.


ARC provided by NetGalley.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Title:                A Monster Calls
Author:           Patrick Ness, orignal idea from Siobhan Dowd
Illustrator:      Jim Kay
ISBN:              9781406311525
Publisher:       Candlewick Press
Published:      September 2011
    
Synopsis:


The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming. . . .
This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.
Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final story idea of Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself.

My Thoughts:

This book was nothing like I thought it would be. It was better! I recomend everyone read this book at least once.
Intense, bold and strong. Beautiful, honest and unique. This book is both heartwarming and heartwrenching.
Each page is an emotion packed glimpse into the nature of the grieving human soul. Haunting illusrations spread throughout the pages, increase the atmospheric intensity of Ness's profound story telling.
Words cannot describe the impact that this book has had on me. This is a book that devours the reader and leaves a lasting impression and perhaps a better understanding of the emotional processes surrounding grief and loss, hope and unconditional love. This book illustrates a small portion of what it means to be human.
What will you do when a montser calls?