A YA relationship rant

I'm a couple of months out of date for a post about Valentine's Day, but I've officially reached a point where I need to rant about how relationships are portrayed in YA fiction. How come nearly everybody ends up with their true love, who they just happened to meet at 16 (or younger)? Why are single people relegated to the sidelines?

I should probably make a few caveats: firstly, I know I'm an adult (mid-twenties, sob!) and should remember that teenagers/young adults will probably have a different view on this to me, especially if they're in love themselves. Then, I know books aren't supposed to be realistic, otherwise where would we escape to? There needs to be some parts that readers can relate to, though. As someone who has suffered confidence issues and has consequently been single for much of my life (especially as a teenager), I haven't seen many books that have reassured me that it's fine to be single.

I don't generally read any mushy, pass-me-a-bucket stuff out of preference, but relationships are featured in 99.9% of the books I've read. As the intended audience is young adults, this is understandable: many have been in love (or infatuation), and to be honest, it does make things more interesting. It's great to be able to imagine a lot of what goes on, and there are loads of authors that have completely nailed the sexual chemistry between their characters. There's a fine line between writing a stale ending vs something that takes reality more into account though. Is it really important to have the happy ending if it means that some characters are more believable? What I'm mainly talking about are the endings. Here are some examples (spoilers, sorry!):

The Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling

Nice, neat, stale ending. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but even while reading it, I knew that I shouldn't have expected anything different. Everything panned out to create the perfect happy ending. Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione; one big Weasley family. That's great, I thought. Harry was officially incorporated into the family he always wanted, and Ron (who, while awesome, it has to be said was average in comparison to Harry and Hermione) wasn't left out as he so often was in the books. Obviously, nobody was left to the fate worse than death: singledom.

Recently, JK Rowling mentioned that she regretted not pairing Harry and Hermione up. At the time, I was outraged, but if I admit the truth to myself, mixing the pairings up probably would have made for a more interesting ending. A common criticism of Harry and Ginny's relationship is that while Harry is the hero of the series, you can't say much for Ginny's personality. She's a little feisty, but generally, just 'nice'. Considering how Molly and Arthur Weasley pretty much adopted Harry from the start anyway, why couldn't he have ended up with Cho Chang? Or, given that the epilogue was set when the main characters were in their 30s, someone else he met in the meantime? My inner child won't let me accept the demise of Ron and Hermione's marriage though. Without their bickering, old-person relationship, I can't bear that Ron would probably have married (and divorced) a bimbo and Hermione some clever corporate bland-face. There's only so much a girl can take.

The Soulkeepers series, by GP Ching

I really enjoyed the whole series of this; it was an original premise, the lovey dovey stuff was well done, and I loved the action. I even got goosebumps during the ending. BUT, during the ending I also got quite cross.

*** (This is where the spoilers come in. I'd advise you to read the books first before reading this as they really are well worth it.) ***

Throughout most of the books, there's a Soulkeeper called Bonnie, whose twin sister Samantha gets paired off with one of the male Soulkeepers fairly quickly. The books discuss Bonnie's fear of losing her sister to a boy, and also, I felt, jealousy that she was still single - completely natural. She later appears to have feelings for Cord, the Watcher turned angel, but he dies. At the end of the books everybody is not just paired off, but married (in their mid twenties, when they all met at around 16 - what are the chances?!) and some have children. This is all except for, you guessed it: Bonnie. Instead, she becomes a pastor. It really annoyed me that, as the odd one out, she was kept single and given a career that I'm not sure suited her (although I think pastors can marry). However, Cheveyo, who struck me as a real player, is with a woman he knew at the start of the book, and not single/with some bimbo. I think what I'm trying to say here is that characters are paired up for the sake of it, regardless of their personalities. If there's an odd person out, they can be single, but in this book the metaphor is that her partner has been replaced by God.

The Fault in our Stars, by John Green

Not that I'm going to see the film, but I bet it's a good scene!

Now this is an example of a single person's portrayal that I did like. Granted, the story is about Hazel and Augustus, but the inclusion of Isaac made the book even better, in my opinion. Within the context of the story, nothing is contrived, whether it's his and Monica's full-on kissing and I-love-yous, or that he, Gus and Hazel went and threw eggs at Monica's car when she dumped him. It's something I can see happening. Isaac just lost his eyesight but he's more worried about Monica having dumped him; that's one of the 'teenagers are weird' moments that totally do happen. John Green nailed it.

C'mon authors. Stop me feeling like this about being single:

What do you think? Am I the only one that wants to see more happily single characters?

Moirai, by Ruth Silver - review and excerpt

Moirai (Aberrant #2), by Ruth Silver

Olivia has been on the run from the government of Cabal since the marriage ceremony. Finally settling in and finding herself a place to call home in Shadow, Olivia and Joshua prepare for the uprising that they and the rebel alliance have been planning for months.

With new abilities and special talents from Mindonsiphan, Olivia learns she can do more than most ordinary eighteen-year-olds. Learning both to hide and perfect her skills will be one of the biggest challenges she’ll be forced to face.

A constant rollercoaster of emotion and adventure await Olivia and Joshua as they embark on a journey to the rebel city of Torv, and what was once home, Genesis.

The much-awaited sequel to Aberrant is finally out, and it's definitely worth the wait. Olivia and Joshua now have special powers and are taking on more and more responsibilities. As you can see in the excerpt below, there are children, bloody corpses, and general rebellion.

I heard it first: the loud high-pitched scream of a child. It was Adelaide. No doubt in my mind. I took off running in the direction of the sound, west. Her screams didn't diminish in the slightest. “Adelaide!” I called, hearing the ear-piecing scream of a child. She sounded afraid. My heart pounded and my nerves wrestled with me. There was nothing I had to be frightened of. Adelaide was okay, she was screaming, right? That had to be a good sign?

“Olivia!” Her voice answered me with another shrill scream as I tore through tall grasses, running towards the stream where I'd been just before our last council meeting. I could hear Collins lag behind me, trailing in my footsteps. He wasn't far but he wasn't as fast either.

“I'm coming,” I answered, my knees lifting higher as I stopped dead in my tracks, finding a bloody corpse. I glanced up, seeing Adelaide bent over the body, her clothes covered in blood. Her cheeks flushed and eyes filled with tears.

“He's dead!” She wailed as I bent down to pick her up, trying my best to shield her from what she'd seen, though I knew it was too late.

I could hear Collins’ muttered curse as he finally caught up, seeing the disfigured corpse. “This isn't good,” he rasped, glancing from me to the little girl. “Take her home, get her cleaned up. We're having an emergency meeting this afternoon,” he announced. “There's an outlaw near Shadow.”

 The pace of the action was no slower in this book, meaning I enjoyed it just as much as the first. I still have to say I enjoyed Aberrant more, probably because there was slightly more danger and a faster pace, but that's the only bad thing I can say about it.

I was a little confused by the title, until it was cleared up in the book; they appear in Greek mythology, more commonly known as the Fates, and each three of them allocated a part in each person's life.

A lot of issues that came up (i.e. Olivia's parents) were addressed in Moirai, which made it flow really naturally from its predecessor, and made me invest even more in Olivia and Josh's characters.

A brilliant read - if you loved Aberrant, you'll like this!

Insurgent, by Veronica Roth

Insurgent (Divergent #2), by Veronica Roth
Published by HarperCollins Children's Books
Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com

One choice can transform you, or destroy you. Every choice has consequences, and unrest surges in the factions all around her. Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves, and herself, while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

This is the second book in the Divergent series, and the action was as thick and fast as the first. Its fast pace and some unexpected twists have left me really frustrated that the next book isn't out until October. Having finished Insurgent, I sounded like Verruca Salt when talking about Allegiant - "I want it now!" I recently read one of Veronica Roth's tweets that said it'll be from both Tris and Tobias's points of view - intriguing!

Anyway, going back to Insurgent, I loved that as a reader I got to peek into the lives of the other factions, and the factionless. Candor's truth serum and Amity's happy drugs were really interesting, and totally believable in the dystopia it's set in. Something else I could really believe in was Tris's grief and shock over who she killed in the first book. I could completely understand why she was afraid to shoot a gun, and it added human vulnerabilities that can sometimes be lacking in female protagonists.

The only possible issues I had with Insurgent was that there were issues between Tris and Tobias. This is where my hypocrisy kicks in, haha! It's completely understandable that sometimes they have arguments, but sometimes I was a little frustrated by it. Roth writes the sexual tension between them really well, and I wanted more of that and less of the squabbling, haha! It's a brilliant book, and I'll definitely be reviewing the next one once it's out!

It's my birthday on Thursday, and to celebrate I'll be hosting a giveaway - a book of your choice worth up to £15 (or equivalent), plus a book of your choice that I've reviewed on this blog. Please stop by in a couple of days and enter!

Pretties, by Scott Westerfeld

Pretties (Uglies Quartet #2), by Scott Westerfeld
Published by Simon & Schuster UK
Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com

Tally has finally become 'pretty'.

Her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are cool, her boyfriend is totally gorgeous, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun - the non-stop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom - is a nagging feeling that something is very wrong. Something important. And sure enough, when a message from Tally's 'ugly' past arrives, the fun stops cold. Now Tally has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life...

The effective cliffhanger of Uglies pulled me in, and I couldn't resist reading Pretties. Tally is in full-on 'pretty' mode when the book starts, and although I did have to push the annoying lingo to one side, I was hooked from the beginning.

The world of a pretty sounds very frivolous, and operations such as 'surges' are available. For instance, Tally's friend Shay gets crystals put around her irises, which are then revealed to be a backwards clock. Then there's a hole in the wall that gives people anything they want to wear - as someone who struggles to find nice clothes, that appealed to me! It's so over the top that even though I know I would probably hate it there, I couldn't help but be fascinated by all the technology - be it cosmetic or purely gadget.

This book introduces us to Zane, who becomes Tally's boyfriend. Things aren't black and white about whose side the reader is supposed to be on, so I knew things were going to be even more complicated with David when they met again (because I knew they would). Even though I liked David in Uglies, I also liked Zane in this book. Either way, the love interests don't overwhelm the plot, making it a better story.

Like in Uglies, there's nonstop action, a wicked-fast pace, and a 'bad guy' that's close enough to home and intriguing enough to warrant its own book (Specials, next in the series). I loved it. I think the two books in the series I've read so far would translate well to film - I'd be intrigued to see what they would do to (already gorgeous, no doubt) actresses; whether they 'uglied' them up in the beginning, or made them completely gorgeous. Or both, I guess!

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green & David Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green & David Levithan
Published by Penguin
Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, teenager Will Grayson crosses paths with ... Will Grayson! Two teens with the same name who run in two very different circles suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions. Culminating in epic turns-of-heart on both of their parts, they team up to produce the most fabulous musical ever to grace the high-school stage.

 I've had this on my Kindle for a while, but having seen Jo's (Once Upon a Bookcase's) great blog post on Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I thought I'd leap on her coattails a little and mark the end of LGBT month. The book discusses homosexuality in a way that some teens may be able to relate to.

The story is told from the perspectives of both Will Graysons, with alternating chapters. The first is written by John Green, and Will is a somewhat awkward teen, dealing with life by deciding not to care. I loved John Green's The Fault in our Stars, and his writing voice was really clear in his version of Will Grayson. David Levithan writes the second Will. I haven't read David Levithan before, so I couldn't compare his chapters to anything else. I originally found his chapters a little disconcerting though - they were written without capital letters. The plots that unfold in his chapters about Isaac, however, were really imaginative and I found them really interesting.

The two Wills are linked by a character called Tiny, who is the first Will's best friend. His name is ironic, and he's described to be really large, in all senses of the word. He's extremely flamboyant, and is said to go through love interests really quickly. Throughout the book he organises a play called Tiny Dancer, which is performed at the end of the book. There were vulnerabilities and flaws about Tiny that made the book more realistic for me - who doesn't have a friend that forgets about you a bit when they have a new love?! Even though he's portrayed as totally over the top, he's still likeable.

It was a really interesting plot, and the two writers worked really well together. I think Will Grayson, Will Grayson managed to mix the obviously fictional/over-the-top with the subtly realistic, the effect of which I really liked. There was only one thing I wasn't a fan of, though, which was how the second Will Grayson describes Tiny when he's supposed to 'like' him. To be honest, it's probably just me being a little too sensitive about weight issues, but likening your boyfriend to the size of a state of America is not something I appreciated, even if it is supposed to be true. The second Will isn't the nicest of characters, which is why I don't rate it higher.

Divergent, by Veronica Roth

Divergent, by Veronica Roth
Published by Katherine Tegen Books
Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com

She turns to face the future in a world that's falling apart.

For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs. Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead...

Wow. Wow. Just, wow. That was brilliant. I've read many blog posts that say how good Divergent is, but it's still taken me this long to read it. I've just finished it, and the effect is like any of the greatest books: I feel as though I've been taken on the biggest, fastest rollercoaster, then been dragged through a hedge backwards, and I've got the biggest grin on my face. There'll be quite some book hangover tomorrow.

At the age of sixteen, every teenager must choose a faction in which to live the rest of their lives. Tris (or Beatrice) can choose to stay with her family in Abnegation, which values selflessness above all else, or choose one of the other four and go it alone. However, where for most teenagers it's a simple choice, Tris thinks differently to other people, and this makes her life dangerous. She's divergent.

I found Tris to be a really relatable character. Strong as hell, obviously - which YA protagonist isn't, nowadays?! Plus, while it was obvious to see who was good and who was bad, there were flaws even in the good characters that made the relationships really realistic. I must admit, it took me a while to see the appeal of Dauntless, a faction that values bravery, but there's so much action, and I was rooting for Tris the whole way.

Plus, if anyone regularly reads my blog, they'll know I hate all sorts of insta-love and romance in YA in general. BUT... The relationship between Tris and Four was really well written, with a lot of build up. Some of Tris's fears about it are also shown, which again made everything so much more realistic.

Everything that happened in the book was so vivid, I can easily imagine what the film will be like when it comes out next year. Tris is being played by Shailene Woodley, who is also going to be playing Hazel in The Fault in our Stars, so the actress has a lot to live up to! Four is being played by Theo James, and while he wasn't what I was expecting, phwoar! 'Nuff said.

Read the book. Read it. Go on! As for me, I'll be buying Insurgent as soon as I press the publish button.

ACID, by Emma Pass

ACID, by Emma Pass
Published by Random House Children's Publishing
Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com

ACID - the most brutal police force in history. They rule with an iron fist. They see everything. They know everything. They locked me away for life.

My crime? They say I murdered my parents. I was fifteen years old.

My name is Jenna Strong. 

Firstly, thank you very much to Totally Random Books for sending me a copy of this - I won a competition, woohoo! Plus I owe another thank you since this book saved my life a bit on holiday. I've already mentioned that my Kindle broke a week in, and this was the only paperback in my suitcase.

It was for that reason that I was hoping the book would be fairly mediocre. I could take my time, ration the pages and make it last for as long as possible. Did that happen? Nope. The book was full of twists and, while I could guess some of the events before they were about to happen, I was completely surprised a few times by some unexpected turns. I finished it in a couple of days, and then managed to get my friend to read it in exchange for her Kindle - she enjoyed it too!

Firstly, I really liked Jenna Strong. She's a really strong character - one that readers might want to be, without being infallible. She more than managed to hold her own as the only girl (let alone teenaged) in a male prison, after all. While there is a love interest in the story and it was pretty instalove-ish, it wasn't overwhelming and (other than the events surrounding how they met/got on) I found Jenna's feelings on the matter to be fairly realistic at times. Also, within the book there are newspaper reports and different types of media scattered throughout, so as to give different perspectives and tease a little about what was about to come Jenna's way. I loved that!

To me, ACID was a contemporary, young adult version of 1984. Now, I know I've made a similar comparison recently (with Uglies), and it's not something I intend on doing often, but let me explain. While the government (also the police force, known as ACID) can't watch the doings of the population through a telescreen, they can make sure citizens watch their news updates for at least 5 hours a day, give people a LifePartner (a compulsory arranged marriage based on compatibility) and make sure those who step out of line are informed upon and punished. Every person must have an identity card - which they use in a similar way to London's Oyster, but to pay for anything - and a komm, which I pictured like the below, from Doctor Who. It's like a heavily censored mobile phone/internet device. While there are obviously differences between the two books, do you see what I mean?!

I've read a fair few reviews of this book on Goodreads and other blogs, and note that a few of them mention the number of plot holes. Thinking back to when I was reading the book, I can see a couple but for me at the time, I didn't much care. The pace and events were fast and exciting enough for me to stay interested and not question things too much. Plus, as far as I know it was the same for my friend - the only thing she picked up on that jarred her was the use of the first person present tense. If you like dystopias, definitely give this one a try!

Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld
Published by Simon & Schuster Children's Books
Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com
 

Tally can't wait to turn sixteen and become Pretty. Sixteen is the magic number that brings a transformation from a repellent Ugly into a stunningly attractive Pretty, and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks, Tally will be there. But Tally's new friend, Shay, isn't sure she wants to be Pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the Pretty world - and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn Pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

I bought this book because I loved its premise - upon a person's 16th birthday, they are turned from 'ugly' (read: normal), to 'pretty', in an operation that maximises their evolutionary appeal and usefulness, with ceramic teeth and perfect vision. It's set 100 years in the future; people in today's society are known as 'rusties', with pollution having wiped the majority of us out, and things such as anorexia having been abolished with the new government's operation.

At first, I thought probably wasn't the best start for me. I think my own perspective on physical inadequacy (in that I love the idea of being made beautiful, with all the fat sucked out and no health problems) meant that I was rooting for Tally to get the operation she wanted, even though I could tell something wasn't quite right. This turned out not to matter though - you're supposed to root for Tally, and I think what I was feeling was the confusion she was supposed to be going through.

Around halfway, I was thoroughly swept away, and was really disappointed that I wasn't able to buy the next book straight away (as there was no internet where I was staying). The cliffhanger at the end of the book is really effective - I was so invested in Tally that I really wanted to read on.

The world in the book was different to anything I've read before, and I really enjoyed reading about things like hoverboards and bungee jackets, not to mention imagining the pretties and specials. I think it's a contemporary, teenage version of 1984, in that the government is watching (if not as openly as in George Orwell's book) and is very happy to tamper with people's minds to make them conform.

Even though the book is all about becoming 'pretty' - which is what attracted me, and will doubtless attract many others - it's a subtle message that looking that good isn't all it's cracked up to be, and can sometimes come at a price. I really enjoyed it.

Aberrant, by Ruth Silver

Aberrant, by Ruth Silver
Published by LazyDay Publishing
Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com

 In the future dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government’s match in marriage and “The Day of the Chosen”, a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn’t existed in generations. 
Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she’s arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed: her existence.

Olivia is unlike the rest of the world, born not from The Day of the Chosen. The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system.

With Joshua’s help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

I was contacted by Ruth Silver, the author of this book, to promote Aberrant. In the next post will be an interview, spotlight and giveaway. She gave me a copy of the book to read, but it goes without saying that this review is honest.

I thoroughly enjoyed Aberrant. I was thrown headfirst into the action, first meeting Olivia when she is preparing for her wedding day. This piqued my interest, which was held right the way to the end. It was a brilliant dystopian plot, full of turns that I wasn’t expecting. It reminded me a bit of The Hunger Games and Brave New World, in that the government was very much in control – so much so that it could control the most intimate of features in its inhabitants’ lives. There’s a lot of uncertainty throughout the book as to what will happen to Olivia. She’s often not as safe as she would like to be, and feels the weight of expectation, the latter of which is something I think a lot of young adults can relate to.

I think what enhanced the book for me was Olivia and Joshua. Their relationship is written really well; as best friends with a complicated aspect thrown in, there’s the right touch of familiarity versus the unknown. Throughout, they work as a team, the realism of which I liked – it makes a change to the power games that appear in other YA books where sexual tension is at the forefront. Josh and Olivia have been raised in an environment where conception – and therefore sex – doesn’t happen, which made a really refreshing change. Even though they’re 18, the reader is able to see certain realisations bloom in their minds, and that was great to read!

When I interviewed her, Ruth Silver said about what inspired her to write the book:

Often, we as a society implement the use of vaccines, especially in preventing disease and now even cervical cancer. Of course the vaccines are all safe and approved by the relevant authorities for the country you live in. I decided to think a little further ahead, and a little darker. What if it was an epidemic where everyone was required to get vaccinated and testing had been shortened or barely done at all?

Hearing it put like that made me uneasy, because it brings home how potentially easy it could be for something to strike the world, and for us to find ourselves in a dystopia. I think stories such as this one, where it stems from a simple idea, are the most effective. Mix that in with great characterisation, a little bit of the supernatural, and a plot that twists and turns, and you’re sorted. A great read, thoroughly recommended.

City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare

Published by Walker Books

Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

 This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . .

I've seen several blog posts recommending this book - it seemed to me to be one of the 'staples' of YA fiction. Enough so that it has been made into a film, which will be released on 23rd August.

I'd say this book was a bit of a slow-burner. I was enjoying it, but I wasn't whipping through the pages as much as I would usually - until the end, anyway. At the moment, I'm hating how much YA stuff depends on a romance, and I think I was a little wary that this is what City of Bones would be all about. Clary (short for Clarissa - knowing that helped me pronounce her name) has two love interests - her best friend, Simon, who is in love with her; and Jace, the new boy she meets. As this blogger here writes (which I agree with), the love interests are fairly stereotypical and underdeveloped. With this much 'choice', I thought it was fairly inevitable that the book would sink into romantic fantasy, which would not have impressed me. It was about two-thirds in, then, when the 'twist' starts to unfold (no spoilers!), that I was able to start properly enjoying it and let myself be taken along for the ride.

Not all the characters were developed fully (as I mentioned before), so I did find myself not caring when certain people were hurt (namely, Alec). Then there were some elements that weren't fully explained. A good example is when Jace mysteriously knows it's Clary's birthday, although I'm pretty sure she never told him and nobody else, even Simon, refers to it.

However, the plot moved at a good pace and I was blown away by the numerous twists at the end, only one or two of which I was expecting. I was fully immersed into the world the characters moved in, and had great fun reading about their adventures along the way. I'll definitely be reading the next books in the series, and may even treat myself to see the film, considering it's out a few days before my birthday!

Speaking of the film, I've just watched the trailer for the first time, and I'm not sure. While I can see that she's supposed to be seeing unusual things, Clary's mouth seems to be wide open for the whole time! It does look action-packed though - what do you think?

A book I wouldn't recommend

Bone Dressing, by Michelle I Brooks
Published by Savage Enterprises
Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com

Time is running out & the Dark that's been chasing Syd for many lifetimes has finally caught up with her.

Sydney Roberdeau lost her parents as a young girl. Waiting for her life to start and the freedom that will come with her eighteenth birthday, Syd spends much of her time haunting the local cemetery. It is there, stretched out among the dead, that she feels most alive, most at home. Until one rainy night when Beau, Sarah and T.J. crash her ghostly sanctuary, appearing out of nowhere, turning her already inside-out world one degree past upside down.

Syd must now revisit past lives, dressing in the bodies of her previous selves & bone dressing. Her only chance to outrun the evil breathing down her neck is to face her own worst nightmares and her strongest desires. But if she can't stay out of trouble in this life, how can she possibly fix mistakes from past lives? And just how many lives has she lived, loved and lost? What is Syd exactly, and what will she risk for the life of a man she doesn't remember, the man she spent a lifetime with, the man she loves? Everything including her very own life?

Bone Dressing, the first in a series of seven books, will carry Syd and Beau on an adventure that transcends life itself.

Once again, I got this as a read to review from the Goodreads group 'Never too old for Y.A. books'. It goes without saying (especially once you've read my review!) that what I am about to write is completely honest. I don't think I can explain my feelings about this book without letting spoilers slip, so please beware!

Unfortunately, unlike the first book I received to review, I really didn't like this story, and I won't be reading the next books in the series. Part of the premise wasn't bad - a 17-year-old girl, Syd, goes back to a previous life and discovers she has an ability to shapeshift into 5 different animals - but there are many flaws that made it a challenge to read.

To start with, the premise I mentioned above was bogged down with so many other storylines trying to demand attention. There's a sexually harassing, paedophile teacher; issues with her dead parents (which never actually goes anywhere); boy issues (which I'll discuss later); and probably several other things I genuinely don't care about.

Then, there's Sydney. I don't think I've ever finished a book with a main character as unlikeable as her. Now, I understand she misses her parents (who died 7 years previously), but from what the story says, she has been with her foster parents ever since, and they treat her as good parents should, so I don't understand the amount of anger that spews from her for about 80% of the time she's appearing as Syd (as opposed to Rachel).

If you've read my reviews before, you may have realised that I hate books that completely devolve from reality, especially when it comes to love. Syd mentions at the beginning of the book that she's had dates with 'hot' guys, but that she's put off as soon as they open their mouths. Then, one day, she's met by Beau  (at the friggin' cemetery, by her parents' graves), and despite his stalkerish (and is it just me to think vampiric? It's never revealed what he is) tendencies, she falls head over heels in love with him. Well, duh. She then has her life threatened by a panther, and decides to take that moment to declare how she feels. I'm not sure about anyone else, but that's not what I'd do.

When Syd goes back to her previous life, as Rachel, she again is madly in love, this time with a man named Jesse. This section of the book is slightly better written in that Rachel has more vulnerability than Syd, and the events are more exciting and less jumbled. I was intrigued as to how Syd could help Rachel change the events (which was hinted at by Beau), and can't help feeling that if there had been more of this and a LOT less lead-up, I would have enjoyed the book more. I didn't like that the end of the book finished on a cliffhanger, with nothing of importance having been 'tied up', with only an expectation that the reader would buy the next book in order to carry on.

Then there's Mr Askew. I won't waste my breath on this: he is a paedophile that sexually harasses Syd in front of the whole class at one point. Worst student in the world or not, Sydney could get him done - no bargaining. Plus, why have her burning down the school at the start of the book, only to not refer back to what was already mentioned when it happens at the end?!

In general, an annoyance throughout the book was the amount of metaphors and adjectives used for everything. If there's one word used to describe something, there can be three, appears to be this book's motto! Metaphors can be amazing, but they were taken too far here. (This blogger here agrees!) Picture this type of language every other page or so:

"I could feel the waves of an overwhelming heartbreak ravaging my body, taking hold as if preparing to replace every part of me with an ache that could never be soothed. Somewhere in the distance I heard agonizing sobbing, sobbing too painful for a mere girl to endure."

Yeah. So, it's safe to say I won't be recommending this one.