Book Lovers Life

Contaminated wasn't what I expected. Its not your typical Zombie book.
ThinPro is a revolution in a weight loss product. Everyone is drinking it by the bucket load. Suddenly people are going berserk and getting violent and the government are rounding them up to see why. They experiment on them until they eventually realise that whats causing it is linked back to ThinPro. They round up all the Contaminated and put a special collar on them that makes them helpless. Now anyone who had a loved one fall victim to the contamination can bring them home.

Contaminated isn't focused on the Zombie aspect but more the survival and impact the contamination had on the world. Velvet has been looking for her mother ever since she was contaminated. She finds her and brings her home and Contaminated focuses on the struggle to care for her and her sister.

It isn't the most action packed book but it still is a great read. Velvet has so much to deal with and does it stoically. You really feel for her and her struggle to do everything. Life for her is nothing like it was. She has to leave school to get a full time job just to make money for food. She lives in assisted housing but when she brings her mother home, she is thrown out because she isn't allowed "one of those things" in the place. They move back to the house they used to live in before all this happened. Velvet has to do, and try to teach, everything to her mother. Most "Connies" wont get any better but Velvet has high hopes for her mother.

I loved the introduction of Dillon towards the end. Velvet has a boyfriend but ends up breaking up with him because basically he is a douche bag!! Jean (the lady who owns the place where the "Connies" live) introduces Velvet to Dillon and they hit it off. He is more understanding of her mothers situation and does all he can to help.

The concept of this book was great. Its kind of like "look what the price of trying to be thin will do" They drink ThinPro to get slim but end up becoming monsters.

As I said, Contaminated isn't action packed, nor is it centered on zombies but it still took me by surprise. I will definitely read the next book to see what happens.

I enjoyed this more than the first.
Charm focuses on Cinderella. She lives with her father, step-mother and step-sister. In this retelling Cinderella still has to do most of the housework but her family does love her and she loves her sister Rose. Her other step sister is married to an Earl.
The king decides to host a ball over 2 days for the prince so he can choose a wife. Every noble born girl is invited. Cinderella isn't noble born and is so jealous and upset when Rose goes. She makes a wish to be able to go and a very familiar woman appears. She grants the wish but with a catch!! All Cinderella wants is to marry the prince and live in the castle no matter the cost. She goes to the ball and with a little help from some enchanted slippers gets her wish.
I loved Charm! There were so many twists and a few familiar faces in it that I flew through the book. I was riveted from the get go. I loved that we got to see a certain mouse in this and we got to see the evil queen from Poison. For me the way both books were intertwined was what added so much more to Charm.
I connected more with this than Poison because I felt there was so much more in this story. I loved Rose. She made the book!! She really loves Cinderella and is so brave and good and kind. Even when her own mother pushes her so hard, she wasn't mean. She forgives Cinderella for what she did and does all she can to help her. I wanted to see more of her and I'm hoping we will because of that ending!!!
The step-mother I liked as well. She really loves Cinderellas father and just wants a better life for them.
I liked Cinderella towards the end but for most of the story she came across not so much as a spoilt brat but more of a self centered, "Whoa is me" kind of a person. She definitely wasn't like the fairytale character!!
For me the best thing about Charm was the secondary characters. They added so much more to the story. I loved Buttons, he was like the Robin Hood of that time.
Sarah Pinborough took a well known fairytale and added a lot more Charm to it. She created a world all of her own which you cant help but love.
Charm is sinfully sexy, dark and a must read. It can be read as a standalone but I strongly recommend reading Poison first so you can get the full glory of the book. I cant wait for Beauty and hope to see some of the characters I have come to love.

I love fairytale retellings. When I saw this I knew straight away that I'd read it.
This is told mostly from Snow Whites stepmothers, the evil queen, POV. She is only a few years older than Snow White and was forced to marry the king. She is unhappy and extremely jealous of Snow.
Poison is dark, delicious and not something you would read to your kids ;) The author took a classic fairytale and made it her own. Lilith is everything an evil queen should be but you see how and why she is like she is. She is evil to the core but you still feel sorry for her. She longs for the freedom that Snow has.
What I Liked :
Sarah Pinborough threw in elements of different tales in Poison. There's a house made of sweets and a boy called Alladin. It added a different twist to the story.
The dwarves were awesome. Grumpy and Dreamy are featured the most. Snow White is friends with them and often visits them and I loved their friendship.
The story is definitely different to what we are used to. Snow White isn't exactly innocent and the twist at the end was devilish.
I loved the illustrations, they really made the book stand out.
What I Didn't Like :
There isn't much I didn't like in Poison. I think the only thing I didn't like was that we only get brief bits about the back story of some of the characters. It was frustrating because they were really only teasers and I'd of loved to have found out more.
Overall Poison was a retelling that I didnt expect. It was sexy, dark and the author has created an unforgettable world. I will definitely be reading more from her.

I jumped right into this after finishing Shadows. I enjoyed the last 2 books in this series and couldn't wait to see what would happen to the characters I came to love. Monsters is an action packed,edge of your seat, nail biting, exciting book, which I've come to expect from this series. Bick can tell a story and isn't afraid of giving a lot of description and details!! This isn't a short book by any means and took me about a week to read.
I don't know what to say that I haven't already said in my last 2 reviews so I'm going to focus on my likes and dislikes of Monsters.
What I liked :
I loved the fact that we see a lot more of Alex, Ellie and Tom. Alexs' journey is so hard and horrible that you feel so much for her. She is so strong and brave. Ellie is only a child but she has to deal with so much and misses Alex and Tom something fierce. Then there is Tom. I love his character. He is strong, brave, selfless and loyal.
I'm also happy in a way that we got to see a bit more of Peter. He wasn't my favourite but his journey captured me in Shadows because not was so heartbreaking and horrifying that I needed to see what happened with him.
I love how Back can keep the reader gripped with her writing and vivid descriptions. She created a gory, horrifying, death filled world but you have to keep reading to see what she has in store for her characters. She always throws in so many twists and turns that there's never a dull moment.
Mina was another thing I loved. She is the epitome of a loyal dog. She was wonderful!!

Now onto what I didn't like :
I didn't like the multiple POVs and I mean multiple!! It felt like everyone and their grannies got a POV. It was very confusing at times and down right annoying the rest of it. I had to reread bits to see who was talking and try to get back into their minds.
I also didn't like the fact that after waiting for an explanation of what, how, why and who made the EMPs happen we didn't get any!!!
I didn't like the fact that it took too long for the original trio so long to get back together. I understand why they didn't and that it created suspense but they came so close at times and then it didn't happen and I was like "UGH"

Overall I'm satisfied with the ending of this trilogy. I didnt love it but I didnt hate it either. It answered enough and came together but there was still things left unanswered.
It was one heck of a ride and not once did I find it boring. There is constant action, suspense and so many things happening that you are on the edge of your seat the whole time.

I have to say firstly that the cover of this book is awesome but whats under the dust cover is even better!! You can pet the dragon and feel her. Its fabulous. Now on to the review!!
Scorched was a real quick read. I love anything to do with Dragons so when I saw that Mari Mancusi was writing a dragon book I knew straight away Id read it. I loved her Blood Coven series.
Trinity is doing everything in her power to try and save her grandfathers museum but he is so kind hearted that he doesn't press people for money owed. He comes home one day with an egg and tells Trinity that its the last Dragon Egg and will save the museum. She is skeptical to say the least and thinks he has been conned. When she sees the egg she is mesmerized with the colour until she hears a noise and turns to the window, she sees men dressed in black and heavily armed coming towards the museum. She thinks maybe the egg was stolen and her grandfather unwittingly bought it but next thing she knows she sees a strange boy in the room trying to steal the egg. The boy tells her she and the egg need to leave or she will die. She eventually leaves with him and the egg and from that moment on her life changes.
What I liked :
I really liked Trinity, she was sincere, brave and just an all round nice normal girl. Her parents are gone and its only her and her grandfather.
Connor and Caleb are twins from the future, sent back to stop The Scorch, but are on different sides. Connor wants to eradicate Dragons but Caleb wants to save them. Both of the boys were awesome in their own way.
The Dragons! The description and the whole idea of them. What more can I say, I love dragons!!!
The idea of the government cloning the Dragons.
The whole Scorched Apocalypse!
What I didn't like :
The love triangle!! Ugh and with twins at that!!!!
Not enough Dragon time. I know its the first in the series but I would of loved to see more Emmy.
The time travel element had me very confused. I thought the rules of time travel were you couldn't tell too much about the future because it would change a whole lot more. I know the boys came back to do that exact thing but still!! The twins basically told her everything about the world they live in.
Everyone kept referring to Trinity as Fire Kissed but it wasn't explained real good. I'm still not sure what it means.
Trinity trusting too easily. I wanted to throw the book at times because she went from trusting Connor to thinking him the enemy within a few pages and then trusting Caleb as well too easily!! It made her come across as too gullible.
Lastly the love triangle! I know I said that already but it really ticked me off and especially with twins. That's a no no!!!

Overall I loved the concept of the book and I liked it but there was too many things that annoyed me for me to love it. Ill still read book 2 to see what happens though.

Mila and her father are going to meet with his best friend when they get a phone call to say that her fathers friend has mysteriously disappeared. They decide to go anyway and see if they can find him or find out why he is missing. Mila is very good at reading people and situations. While she's there secrets unfold.
Starting the book I was a little confused to the age of Mila. I knew she was young but her voice was like that of an older girl. She is a very deep girl. The book is a quick read at about 200 pages. I liked it and found it intriguing but I also found the lack of quotation marks when someone was talking confusing. I had to reread bits to see exactly who was who. It defiantly detracted from an otherwise good book. I liked Mila. Picture Me Gone is kind of her coming of age story where she learns people and things aren't always what they seem. She is so young to have to deal with things but the author handles Mila well. Overall a good book, a little bit slow but still a good read.

The Shadow Prince was so so good.
Haden is trying to reclaim his place as his fathers favourite in the Underrealm. He is picked as Champion, much to the chagrin of everyone, and sent to the mortal plain to get his boon and bring her back with him. His mission is special though, his Boon is the Cypher and can repair the Underrealm and return what was lost.
Daphne is the daughter of Joe Vance who is a rock star. She longs to leave Ellis and find fame with her singing. Joe turns up and tells her that he was granted custody and she is to move to Olympus Hills and attend the prestigious school there. Whilst there she meets the enigmatic Haden. He isn't used to flirting with mortals and has to try hard with Daphne. Their lives take an unexpected turn when she decides to trust him.

I loved Bree Despains take on the mythology. Hades is dead and Hadens father is King of the Underrealm. Hadens mother was mortal and he seems to take after her than his cold hearted father. I immediately loved Hadens character. He seems to bundle everything with Daphne but is so nice and sincere that she finds herself drawn to him. The author does a great job explaining Hadens powers. He can shoot bolts from his hands and is an extremely quick learner. He learns music just to get close to Daphne. She was another character I had no problem liking. Even though she has an amazing voice she is so down to earth and doesn't fall for Haden too easy.
The Shadow Prince is an awesome book packed with plenty of mystery, mythology and plot twists. The pacing is fast and the story will draw you in and have you rooting for Haden. The secondary characters add more twists and turns and overall make the book even better. Haden and Daphnes story will stay with me and I'm eagerly awaiting book 2 to see what happens.

Bick delivers another gory action packed book.
I'm glad I had Ashes fresh into my mind going into this. There were so many different POV and things happening that if I hadn't of read Shadows straight away, I could of found it confusing. Shadows picks up where Ashes left off Alex has escaped Rule but is she any better off? We don't see as much of Alex in Shadows which I found a bit disappointing. I really liked her and the strength she has. What we do see of her is heartbreaking. She has so many things to deal with in Shadows but even when the people she is with take the easy way out she keeps fighting and trying to survive.
Tom is alive and ready to find Alex but his journey isn't exactly a picnic. With bounty hunters, Chuckies and people he thought he could trust gunning for him, his journey is fraught with danger. We don't get to see anything of Ellie in Shadows so your left with the question of what happened? I'm sure it will all come together in the final book.
What is happening with Peter is disturbing to say the least. His captors are so mysterious and evil and I'm dying to see where the author will take this. Even with the multiple POV I still really liked this book but I was confused some of the time trying to figure out who was talking.
Shadows is another book that's gory, bloody, disgusting, nail biting and horrifying book. When I was reading it I was thinking "OMG" and "Eww" and "I have to keep reading to see what happens"!!! It is a descriptive, action packed, heartbreaking, edge of your seat book. Im starting book 3 now and am looking forward to seeing how it all ends.

Ashes starts really strong. Alex hikes into the woods when she meets Ellie, an 8 year old girl, and her grandpa. While she is talking to them she suddenly feels a tremendous pain and pressure in her head. Ellies' grandpa keels over with blood spurting out of his ears and mouth. Alex sees birds falling from the sky and the deer acting strange. Alex and Ellie have to get out of the woods to find help. They decide to head to the rangers station further up the mountain. Along the way they stumble on some teenagers eating a person, they are freaked and quickly run away. They meet up with Tom when he saves them from a zapped teenager that tries to eat them. Tom is Army and tells Alex he reckons it was an electromagnetic pulse or something like that and isn't just happening here.
Ilsa Bick draws you into a world that is bleak and what people are left will do anything for survival. The first time Alex sees the Zapped kids is one of the gruesomest, goriest, scariest, heart pounding, nail biting parts. The author isn't afraid to describe exactly what was happening. She pulls you into the scene and you are on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens. Alex is such a likeable character. Despite what is happening with her she tries everything to keep Ellie safe even with Ellie being a typical 8 year old and making nothing easy. She is a very scared little girl and Alex does all she can to make sure Ellie is OK.
Then they meet up with Tom and he makes the girls feel protected and safe. He is so good and kind with Ellie and helps Alex learn to defend herself. He is a really strong character.
In this Post Apocalyptic time Alex, Ellie and Tom have to deal with Zapped kids, raiders, savage dogs and trying to survive. Ashes read like a typical post apocalyptic book and then bam the author throws something else into the mix. Something happens half way through and Alexs journey isn't the same. From then on its twists and turns and you honestly don't know what will happen. Ashes is a action packed, scary, heart stopping story and Im really look forward to seeing what happens to these characters and Im glad I can dive into book two because with the ending of book one I was like NOOOOO!!

I'm still unsure about my rating for this one.
I love Post Apocalyptic books so after reading the synopsis I knew I'd read it. A world wide virus hits and within weeks most of the population is dead. Dani and her boyfriend get the virus but he dies and she barely survives. Zoe, Danis' BFF, is hundreds of miles away and her roommate gets the virus and dies so she decides to send her brother to see if Dani is still alive(he lives near Dani). She is and they decide to meet up in this supposedly safe place. Each group leaves and checks on their own family members along the way.
The virus that killed everyone has changed others. Some of them have become 'Crazies' and some seem to have developed special powers. The Crazies are extremely dangerous and some of the people with the powers have let it gone to their heads and turned bad. Each group has their work cut out for them trying to stay alive.

OK, I wanted to love this, I really did but I have a few WTFudge moments and was like Ugh!! First of all there was the emails between Dani and Zoe. While it was a good idea it kind of fell flat. To me it was like they were just rehashing what we already knew and I found myself skimming most of them. Also how would the internet be working when there was no phones???? And how would they have WiFi everywhere they went? Also the way the girls were about meeting up was kind of obsessive. They would go on their own just to meet up even with what happened and the Crazies.
I hate being negative but so much annoyed me in this book. Dani 'loved' her boyfriend but within days of meeting up with Jason she was fawning all over him. The Crazies were another thing. They weren't explained well, how did they become like that? Maybe it will be explained in the next book though!!

Now saying that, I ended up liking it. The whole Virus giving super powers was unique to me and I liked the idea. Also there wasn't really a dull moment in the book. Something was always happening. The "villians" were really bad which I enjoyed and I liked most of the characters. Overall it wasn't a bad book it just raised a lot of What?? moments. The ending was a real cliffhanger and felt a bit abrupt but it will make you want to read the next book just to see what happens, also the hinting that the virus may not have been natural is another thing that will make you want to pick up book 2.

So sorry to see this series end but this was a brilliant last book. Samantha Young wrapped up everything nicely.
Eden has to make some tough decisions in Shades Of Blood. She faces off against the person she hates the most and she is the only one that can decide how she wants to handle it. Her relationship with Noah is hotting up but something happens to make her so angry with him. Darius is back and as scary as ever. He has a test for Eden but will she pass??
What else can I say about this series that I haven't said already!! Shades of Blood was amazing. It had me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened. It was action packed but still had the sweet romance and snarky tone that I love. Eden and Noah have a realistic relationship. Its not all plane sailing. They have arguments and they annoy each other a lot but they love each other so much. It was awesome to see their relationship become more in this book.
I loved everything about this story but I would love to see a short story on Darius though. He is still very mysterious and Id love to find out more about him.

Samantha Young has done it again. This book was amazing.
Edens is still reeling from what happened in Blood Will Tell and is trying to deal with what she is. She knows she can trust Cyrus but who else? It seems every corner she turns someone wants her dead!! She travels to Scotland to meet her mothers family and is still really upset with Noah and the lies he told her. He will do anything to not hurt her but is he too late?
I adore this series. Samantha Youngs writing grabs you from the start of the book and doesn't let go. Eden as a character is totally kick ass and I love that she is still her sassy self even though we do see a slightly softer side of her when she meets the Douglas clan.
Noah is just *sigh*! He is strong and totally swoon worthy and I don't know what else to say about him!! He is one of my top book boyfriends ;)
Even the secondary characters are amazing. Teagan is as horrible and evil as ever. He is one twisted dude. I loved Tobe. She is sassy and a great friend to have and so like Eden in her attitude. I'm so intrigued with Darius. Even though I've read this before he still intrigues me, he has so much power and is scary. Eden is lucky to have Cyrus and Val in her life. Val is like a mother figure to her and has been her rock and Cyrus can calm her and loves her unconditionally. The relationship between Eden and all these really shape her and brings something special to the book.
This isn't as dark as book 1 but its still unbelievably good. It is packed with amazing characters, action and with a sprinkling of romance! If you want a book that engrosses you and is a world you wont forget then this book is for you.

Review by my 10 yr old son :-)

Billy and Bonnie are both half dragons. Bonnie has known her entire life but Billy only just found out. Not long after hearing what he is, he finds himself on the run from a crazy Dragon Slayer. He learns what and who his dad is and how and why they are being hunted.

I love Dragon books and my mom gave me this to try. I enjoyed it and found the story good - a boy finding out he is half dragon (how cool would that be???)and that his dad is a full dragon (even cooler) forced to become human to hide from the Dragon Slayers. He meets another half Dragon and both end up on the run with Slayers trying to kill them.
Bonnie is cool for a girl Dragon. She has wings and is quite strong. Billy though is awesome because he can breath fire. I liked both of them but my most favourite character was Walter, he is a good friend to have. He had their backs. The story was action packed and never dull. I especially liked the Arthur bits and reading about the Dragons. The Slayers weren't very nice but they were very good villains. I also want a teacher like Professor Hamilton because he was pretty cool and had awesome weapons. I also want to know who or what he is because that bit was very mysterious.
I really liked Raising Dragons and have asked my mom for the next in the series.

Received as part of the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.

OK, this book took me nearly a week to read and a few times I thought it would be a DNF but I persevered.
The Lycanthropy disease was created after a lab experiment gone wrong and in the world Michael Loring created everyone knows about Werewolves and are told to stay in on the full moon.
Ryan is at a party and decides to walk home. He knows about the werewolves but hey, it would never happen to him! During the walk home he hears a noise and turns to see a beast. He runs but gets attacked and bitten. he is taken to hospital and from that moment on his life changes. He is taken to the camps that the government have for werewolves. Dehumanized is bout his life behind bars.

Michael Lorings writing is amazing. His attention to detail and the way he writes makes the story come alive. This book is dark, gritty, gory and not afraid of telling the harrowing story of life in the "hell hole" that is the camps. Its not the werewolves that are the monsters in the prison but the guards and the scientists. The inmates are beaten, underfed and experimented on at any opportunity. They are locked up in "The Dungeon" when they need to be punished. The Dungeon is a bare cement cell that's kept as cold as they can and the people are thrown in naked for a week. I really felt for what they were put through.
Ryan's journey in the camp is brutal. He has to fight because any sign of weakness will get you killed. He shares a room with Fred but they don't talk much because Fred doesn't speak much English. Ryan is considered a loner, that is until Anna comes. She ends up in his room as well and he finds himself drawn to her. Their relationship develops and he would do anything to protect her but Dehumanized isn't a love story, that's only secondary. Its a story of surviving against the odds!
While there was so much to like in this book the reason I only gave it 2 stars is because I only liked it not loved it. Its a refreshing take on Werewolves and the Lycanthropy disease but I found the story to drag in many parts. I found myself skimming a lot of the chapters to get to the good bits. The book is 455 pages long and I can understand why there was so much detail but myself I just found it boring and a bit annoying reading kinda the same thing over and over. Like the lunch room was always the same and recess Ryan went to the same place and did the same thing everyday.
All in all it was a good book but I don't think Ill continue on with the series.

This is a reread for me. I first read this about a year and a half ago and fell in love with it, well this read is no different.
Edens family are soul eaters, they have to take a bit of soul from someone in order to live but her Mother and Father take it to the extreme. They don't just take a bit of soul, they kidnap and torture their victims and enjoy it. Eden hates them for it. She knows she is different because she cant bare the thought of hurting someone. She dreads the day when her Hunger Awakens.
Noah is the new kid in town and is determined to make friends with Eden. She learns to trust him but unfortunately he Awakens the hunger in her. She has to fight her desire all the time around him. He ends up being her best friend but is he who she thinks he is?

This book deals with a lot of tough things. Edens father is basically evil and Eden struggles with the idea that she has to kill someone on her Awakening ceremony. She has to see everyday her parents enjoyment of hurting and killing people. I loved Edens character because she fights her nature to be good even when she has her family pressurizing her to do bad things. She is one tough cookie. Noah is handsome but caring and really makes Eden feel good about herself. He knows that deep down Eden is a good person.
I've never read about soul eaters before and thoroughly enjoyed the story. Its so different and Samantha Young really brings the book alive. I was really rooting for Eden and found myself feeling for her when a certain thing happens to her. She has so much hurt inside and has to deal with a lot of bad things but she is so strong and brave that all I wanted to do was jump in the pages and hug her. Blood Will Tell had me crying and on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens to Eden. Noah and Eden are some of my favourite characters and the soul eater world is one of death, depravity and hatred but its a world I have no problem diving into again. I could gush some more but all I'm going to say is that if you haven't read this then you really should. Its amazing and so is the author.

Of Beast and Beauty can be rated in one word, amazing. Ive only read a few fairy tale retellings and this is one of my favourite's. When I saw it was a retelling of Beauty and The Beast I ordered it straight away.
The Pure Heart and The Dark Heart were once one being but when the humans came from another world The Pure Heart reached out to them with its magic and transformed them so they could survive. They grew scales and claws and became terrified of what was happening. The humans that came later saw the Monstrous and built domes to keep them safe. In the dome the very first Queen spilt some of her blood and where it hit some roses grew. From that second, crops grew when they shouldn't and the livestock flourished. They made a bargain there and then and from that moment a female queen was to be sacrificed every time the dome started failing.
Isra has always known she would have to sacrifice herself for the good of Yuan. The night her mother died, she lost her sight and she knew the job of keeping her city safe fell to her.
Gem is a Monstrous and is trying to save his tribe from starving. He sneaks into the dome with a few of his clan to try and steal the secrets that keep the smooth skins fed and healthy. He is captured and Isra holds him prisoner. She learns that he can help stop the mutations with herbs. She starts to build a garden and gets Gem to help. Both of them find out that neither is what they were thought to believe. As her sight comes back she realises that beauty isn't always on the outside.
Of Beast and Beauty blew me away. The writing was beautiful and the story was phenomenal. Stacey Jay took the Beauty and Beast fairytale and totally made it her own. The beast is captured and the beauty is the prison guard. From the world that she created to the characters, there was nothing I didn't like. Isra took a while for me to like but she really grew as a character and I ended up really liking her. Gem is strong and brave but with a kind heart. He has the chance to kill Isra but doesn't and ends up captured. This book, even at over 350 pages, was a quick read. It really was unputdownable, from the beautiful writing and magical world to the unforgettable characters it truly was amazing. This is a book I've no problem highly recommending.