A Little Something Different
Written by Sandy Hall
Contemporary, Romance
Published September 1st 2014
272 Pages
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia
The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common, they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.
But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.
Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together...
The Hunt
The Hunt: Book One
Written by Andrew Fukuda
Dystopian, Vampires
Published May 8th 2012
292 Pages
Don't Sweat. Don't Laugh. Don't draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.
Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can't run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn't hurt him and he doesn't have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It's the only way to stay alive in a world of night, a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.
When he's chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene's carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He's thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible, and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever, but is it worth the cost of his humanity?
Black Ice
Written by Becca Fitzpatrick
Mystery, Thriller
Published October 7th 2014
392 Pages
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia
Britt Phieffer has never been that adventurous, but that's about to change. Wanting to impress her ex boyfriend, Britt convinces best friend, Korbie, to take a trip with her and go trekking through the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming.
But when a freak storm leaves the girls stranded they seek shelter in a cabin, and find two knights in shining armour, Shaun and Mason, who are also hiding out.
But all is not as it seems, and Britt quickly discovers that the guys are there for reasons other than hiking… Dangerous reasons that mean they need to get off the mountain, fast. In exchange for her life, Britt is forced to guide them down, and as they set out on a harrowing journey through the cold and snow, Britt realises the only way to get out of this alive is to pretend she is on their side.
But playing nice is hard, especially when Britt is unsure whether Mason, gorgeous and sexy, is the enemy or an ally. And as she begins to lose track of who is in control it is only a matter of time before things turn deadly…
Written by Jessica Shirvington
Contemporary, Paranormal
Published May 1st 2013
242 Pages
Add to Goodreads
★★★★★
But when edgy Sabine finally decided to tell her parents, she's institutionalised. No one believes her until she meets Ethan. Ethan challenges her and seems to care for her regardless, but does he believe her? Ethan believes in living life to the fullest, but is he enough to convince her to stay?
I loved Ethan. His character was a turning point in Sabine's life and offered salvation, even without wanting to deter her decision. He represented life and urged her to consider her choices. But most of all, he was able to see the real Sabine, not the girl who was committed for an alleged mental illness or seemingly self harming. He was the support Sabine's character desperately needed, for someone just to see the real girl.
Jessica Shirvington is phenomenal. I should have prepared myself for the deep emotional investment after having read and loved Disruption. The stunning turns the storyline took left me breathless and emotionally spent. Another brilliant Aussie author added to my favourites list.
★★★★★
For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every twenty four hours she Shifts to her other life, a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different: different family, different friends, different social expectations. In one life she has a sister, in the other she does not. In one life she′s a straight student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she′s considered a reckless delinquent. Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discovers a glitch: The arm she breaks in one life is perfectly fine in the other.Almost eighteen year old Sabine hides a secret from both her families, she leads a double life. At midnight each night she endures the Shift, transported from two separate lives she leads, each life pausing until twenty four hours when she returns. In both worlds her name is Sabine, but that's where the similarities end. In one life Sabine is the golden child, wealthy, popular with a devoted boyfriend that she has never quite connected to. In the other, Sabine adores a younger sister, her parents work tirelessly and are never home. Two sets of friends. Two families. Two lives. And one girl that can't go on.
With this new knowledge, Sabine begins a series of increasingly risky experiments which bring her dangerously close to the life she′s always wanted... But just what, and who, is she really risking.
I was two separate bodies. And if I was two separate bodies... And if one of me was to stop existing... The other should continue. And I'd just have the one life.It's always been that if Sabine cut her finger in one life, the injury would transfer into her other world. But lately the rules have changed when Sabine breaks her arm... Which doesn't transfer over. To test the theory, she begins to experiment with medication stolen from her parents pharmacy and self inflicted wounds, testing the limits of how far she can push herself before her other life begins to crack. What is she were to end one life, would she still exist in the other? Sabine must decide which future she wants more, the edgy girl with the absent parents, or the clean cut Sabine who has the world for her taking.
But when edgy Sabine finally decided to tell her parents, she's institutionalised. No one believes her until she meets Ethan. Ethan challenges her and seems to care for her regardless, but does he believe her? Ethan believes in living life to the fullest, but is he enough to convince her to stay?
Jessica Shirvington, you are brilliant. Between The Lives drew me in, kept me enthralled and left me absolutely broken. From the first few chapters, I found myself emotionally involved in both Sabine's lives, and the real girl underneath both personas. She lived both lives as expected of those around her, but has held the secret of the two worlds her entire life. She feels incredibly alone.Kelly's Thoughts
My body trembled as I considered my cruel reality. I couldn't take it anymore. The freakishness of my existence was bad enough, but the loneliness that constantly tortured me was far worse.But the genuine version of Sabine lines between her two worlds, where no one knows who she truly is. My heart ached for her situation, which could be considered a metaphor for how so many teens feel during those awkward years of finding their feet and their place in the world. It was beautifully written with almost a poetic tone, intelligent and unique. I loved how Sabine was able to retain a separate identity in both her lives, even though neither was a reflection of her true self. She was sassy and social aware, but leading both lives has left her tired and she tests the limits to see how separate her two worlds have now become. Until she meets Ethan.
I loved Ethan. His character was a turning point in Sabine's life and offered salvation, even without wanting to deter her decision. He represented life and urged her to consider her choices. But most of all, he was able to see the real Sabine, not the girl who was committed for an alleged mental illness or seemingly self harming. He was the support Sabine's character desperately needed, for someone just to see the real girl.
Jessica Shirvington is phenomenal. I should have prepared myself for the deep emotional investment after having read and loved Disruption. The stunning turns the storyline took left me breathless and emotionally spent. Another brilliant Aussie author added to my favourites list.
A Jack Mason Adventure Book Two
Written by Darrell Pitt
Middle Grade, Steam Punk
Published June 25th 2014
256 Pages
Thank you to Text Publishing
Add to Goodreads
★★★☆
★★★☆
Jack, Scarlet and Mr Doyle return for their next action-packed adventure.
When the world's deadliest assassin, the Chameleon, escapes from prison, Jack begins his most dangerous investigation yet.
With only the scantest of clues, the team travels from London to New York, a bustling metropolis filled with airships, steam cars and exciting new ideas.
Here they uncover a terrible plot that threatens the president's life and brings the nation to the brink of civil war. Can Jack track down the Chameleon in time? And just what is the mysterious whip of fire that has the power to wreak destruction across the world?
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book One
Written by Rick Riordan
Mythology, Middle Grade, Fantasy
Edition Published December 1st 2009
375 Pages
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Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... Again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend, and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.
Written by Nikki Buick
Contemporary
Published September 24th 2014
257 Pages
Thank you to UQP
Add to Goodreads
★★★
★★★
Life was not meant to be easy. It was meant to be a treacherous obstacle course, a cruel gauntlet, and right then I was in the thick of it.Hunter is stuck in a car with his family as they travel up the Queensland coast. It is a trip that his mum thinks will bring the family closer together, especially now that his stepdad and baby brother are part of the mix.But with tension and secrets sizzling beneath the happy family facade, the road trip soon becomes Hunter's worst nightmare. The further away from home he gets the more he can't shake thoughts of the accident that took his dad away from them.Forced out of his comfort zone, Hunter tries to embrace life on the road. Between campsites he parties with friendly backpackers on the beach, has one too many close encounters with wild animals and finally meets a girl who actually understands how he feels. But is it enough to help him deal with the real reason his family set off on their journey in the first place?
Sixteen year old Hunter is stuck in the car with his family, on an impromptu road trip up the Queensland coast. Six weeks without his friends or social media, and home schooled by his mother and step father. Hunter spends each day gazing out the car window at the arid Australian outback, while bickering with his ten year old sister who had down syndrome and lastly, the baby. His half brother. But Hunter despises being dragged along on his mother's journey of self discovery, but with her fragile state and having nearly lost her once before, he admits defeat. Hunter and this stepfather have a strained relationship, he resents his sister calling him Dad, a title which he'll never hold as far as Hunter is concerned.
But as Hunter begins to take in his new surroundings on the road, he sees that perhaps not all is lost and begins to enjoy exploring the flora, fauna and meeting other campers. Especially Sophie who understands his turmoil. But life is cruel and when sister Pippa is involved in an accident, his world will unravel and he discovers the real reason for their impromptu road trip isn't what it seems.
Kelly's Thoughts
Sandy Feet is a wonderful contemporary about life, finding your feet, acceptance and a sense of family.
If there was a defining moment that made a boy into a man, I think that was that particular moment for me. Right there on the side of the road, on the way to Cairns Hospital, outside the crocodile farm, something changed. Something shifted.
Told from sixteen year old Hunter's perspective, he's angry and frustrated and wants nothing more than to be home where he can access social media, play games and hang out with his friends. But instead he finds himself fighting for the window seat on a three week long road trip up the coast. Although his mother remarried after the collapse of her marriage, Hunter has never accepted the man he calls Step as a member of their family. He even resents sister Pippa for referring to him as her father. At first Hunter is seemingly the average teenage boy with a chip on his shoulder, but as his story unravels it soon becomes apparent that his anger can be justified.
I found the family dynamics wonderful. Pippa with down syndrome who really doesn't need any assistance. She's sassy and I loved her ability to stand up for herself. Their mother seemed to waver between loving mother, stern authority figure and carefree spirit. Although she was clearly dealing with her own crisis, she seemed to neglect Hunter's emotional well being. Angry, sullen and withdrawn, it was the typical teenage cry for help. But surprisingly under the circumstances, Hunter otherwise seemed like a well adjusted teenage boy and I struggled to find any deeming qualities within his mother. His step father was the more engaging of the two, taking on a family with existing complications yet he still wanted to be part of the children's lives. I really felt for his character, it can't have been easy trying to engage with a teenage boy but he seemed like the most reliable and solid figure Hunter had in his life.
But Sandy Feet felt a little repetitive, as the interactions between Hunter, family members and other travelers were too few and far between and the teen spend his time either absorbing the monotony of the scenery or reflecting on how the life he left behind is forging on without him. Hunter also recalls on memories of his father, who is now no longer in his life and I felt incredibly sorry for what he and Pippa have endured. I really enjoyed the fluent character dialogue especially, it gave realism to this being a family that you could find practically anywhere around the country.
Sandy Feet is the unassuming and quiet journey of learning acceptance, forgiveness and making the most of the life you've been dealt. I really enjoyed how Nikki Buick painted the diverse and blended family dynamics, while imparting that the onus falls on the individual how we accept them, flaws and all. It was a engaging and delicate read that is perfect for a lazy Sunday on the beach,
Sandy Feet is the unassuming and quiet journey of learning acceptance, forgiveness and making the most of the life you've been dealt. I really enjoyed how Nikki Buick painted the diverse and blended family dynamics, while imparting that the onus falls on the individual how we accept them, flaws and all. It was a engaging and delicate read that is perfect for a lazy Sunday on the beach,
Brew (Salem's Revenge: Book One)
Written by David Estes
Apocalyptic, Paranormal
Publication October 1st 2014
440 Pages
Thank you to David Estes
Salem’s Revenge strikes without warning or mercy, ravaging the powerless human race under the forces of united gangs of witches, wizards, and warlocks. During the slaughter, Rhett Carter's foster parents and sister are killed, and his best friend and girlfriend are abducted by a gang of witches calling themselves the Necromancers, who deal in the dark magic of raising the dead. Rhett’s sword-wielding neighbor with a dark past saves Rhett from becoming another casualty of the massacre and teaches him the skills he needs to survive in this new world.Rhett is broken, his normal high school life of book blogging and football playing shoved in a witch apocalyptic blender. The only thing he has left is his burning desire for revenge. Armed with his new witch hunting skills and a loyal, magic powered dog named Hex, he sets out into the unknown with one mission: hunt and destroy those who took away everyone he ever loved.But Rhett isn’t just a witch hunter; he has secrets of his own that he has yet to discover, secrets that his enemies will stop at nothing to keep him from.And discovering the truth about himself is the human race’s only hope.
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