Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.

Lauren Oliver astonished readers with her stunning debut, Before I Fall. In a starred review,Publishers Weekly called it "raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful. An end as brave as it is heartbreaking." Her much-awaited second novel fulfills her promise as an exceptionally talented and versatile writer.

                                                                                           -Chapters Canada

As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. After yearning after Delirium for months, it became quite clear that it was certainly meant to be after it made not one but TWO rare appearances in the Express collection at the library (the first time there was an unfortunate incident including a much-needed library card renewal + fine paying fandango). Anyway, it was much anticipated and much enjoyed.

Delirium is pretty much everything that I like in a book: suspenseful, heartfelt, surprising, unique and of course, dystopian. I love anything dystopian, and this one definitely fit the bill. Lena lives in a not too distant future where Love is considered a disease, complete with a mandatory cure for everyone when they turn 18. The picture painted was so vivid and interesting, and all-encompassing in its own little bubble. Everything was realistic and seemingly plausible with plenty of links and references to our own society. Delirium marks the first book in a series, and I am definitely looking forward to the next books, if only to work out the huge cliffhanger we’re left with!

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves dystopian novels, Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies trilogy in particular, since I found them really similar. It is also a perfect portrayal of romance that is so new, innocent, and real, it makes for a very amazing and genuine love story that is nothing but pure. It is described absolutely breathtakingly, and is probably my favourite component of the book.

Spoiler Alert: Don't read past this point if you don't want to know specific book details!

From the minute that I picked up Delirium I knew that I would love it, and could tell that the imagery, scenery, and background would be rich, diverse, and convincing. Everything was so completely realistic, which I love about dystopian novels; I love it when they read almost allegorically.

Lena is a strong heroine marked by a painful past; a past that will come back to being her surprises and give her much needed strength in critical times. Her mother was never successfully cured, and although she has been scared and raised thinking that love is a disease (which is quite literally heartbreaking, in my opinion), she is always left with the memories of her mother, clinging to love despite the regulators ripping it away. She is finally brought to the point of suicide, or so Lena thinks. One of the huge surprises was that she actually was not dead, just being held prisoner in the lonely and rank Crypts: a jail for sympathizers or really anyone who disobeys.

Predictably, we see Lena start to break away from the norm (I mean, can you imagine if instead Oliver wrote about some goody-two-shoes who refused break the rules?... BOring!) and do the forbidden: talk to a boy. And more than that too. Lena falls in love with Alex. And it is the most pure and real and innocent love that I think I have ever read about. The fact that the idea of love in this society is so taboo made for such an abundant love that was so simple and honest. The description was so authentic and realistic; the writing was superb and exactly right, and I am still in awe at how perfectly Oliver captured the emotion so entirely.

The end. Wow. I still don't really know what to think about the bombshell at the end, and I really don't even know what to expect going into the second book (coming out March of 2012). I'm not as upset with Alex seemingly dead, as I usually am when someone so close to our protagonist gets taken away. Which is surprising, but I guess that really explains just how good the book was and how strong the heroine really was. Everything just felt good, and I really trust where the story is going, and where Lauren Oliver is sure to take me. I just know that there are great things in store for the next book, and I can't stress enough how much I loved the book. It felt completely right, and I don't really have any complaints other than the fact that it reminded me a little too much of the amazing existing dystopian series The Uglies.

Love, Love, Love--Cheers & Enjoy♥

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

A harrowing excavation unearths a chilling tragedy never laid to rest.

They are "the disappeared," twenty-three massacre victims buried in a well in the Guatemalan village of Chupan Ya two decades ago. Leading a team of experts on a meticulous, heartbreaking dig, Tempe Brennan pieces together the violence of the past. But a fresh wave of terror begins when the horrific sounds of a fatal attack on two colleagues come in on a blood-chilling satellite call. Teaming up with Special Crimes Investigator Bartolomé Galiano and Montreal detective Andrew Ryan, Tempe quickly becomes enmeshed in the cases of four privileged young women who have vanished from Guatemala City -- and finds herself caught in deadly territory where power, money, greed, and science converge.
                                                                                                                          -Chapters Canada

Another amazing installment in what is now one of my favourite series! Kathy Reichs knows exactly what I want in a novel: some suspense, riveting romance, fascinating facts, and of course, murder!

Grave Secrets was no different from the rest of the novels in the series (you can read all the reviews here!) so it totally delivered. Giving it a teensy bit of an edge though, over all the others so far, was the change of scenery, and way more romantic development, which has been way over do and much needed to sate me!

This time we see the globe-trotting forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan in Guatemala, where she is once again engaging in the ever interesting activity of digging up bones. This time there are some unique circumstances, but before long, we see the plot take a familiar turn for the mysterious and tantalizingly interesting.

Of course, there is always danger lurking for Tempe, and this time she has two nights in shining armour to offer her protection (which was uber-lovely!) and provided just the jump-start Tempe needed to take things to the next level. I won't give it away, but it isn't terribly predictable, which is great, and the book ends with a whopper of a cliffhanger!

So it goes without saying that I think this is a great series for anyone to pick up, especially if you are fans of the also fantastic hit TV show Bones. Also if you like murder mysteries of any kind. The Temperance Brennan chronicles stand in a league of their own and bring so many great themes into a unique subject.


I just love 'em!--Cheers & Enjoy♥

Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs

In the bitter cold of a Montreal winter, Tempe Brennan is digging for a corpse buried more than a century ago. Although Tempe thrives on such enigmas from the past, it''s a chain of contemporary deaths and disappearances that has seized her attention -- and she alone is ideally placed to make a chilling connection among the seemingly unrelated events. At the crime scene, at the morgue, and in the lab, Tempe probes a mystery that sweeps from a deadly Quebec fire to startling discoveries in the Carolinas, and culminates in Montreal with a terrifying showdown -- a nerve-shattering test of both her forensic expertise and her skills for survival.
                                                                                                                                  -Chapters Canada




The second novel in the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs, Death Du Jour, was definitely just as captivating, but also gaining it an extra half star more than its predecessor due to its sexy incorporation of Dr. Brennan's love life.

Having said that, there was not a whole lot of romantic development, which I actually admire (I know, who knew that I would be praising something lacking a lot of hubba hubba?) but just enough to keep me salivating for more! I won't go into too much detail so as to spoil it for everyone, but what was there was golden. And I am so dying to dive into the next book, if only to read about Tempe's mature but very steamy rendezvous (which I am completely speculating will take place). Seriously, I actually have the next book, Deadly Décisions, beside me, and I am going to commence its awesomeness right after I wrap up this blog sesh...

Anywho, so yes the awesomeness from Reichs' first book, Déjà Dead, keeps going in this follow-up that is just as suspenseful and well written. The characters and cases are always uncannily woven into the mysterious plot lines in such a way that always promises to keep the reader guessing until the last second, when everything wraps up perfectly, never too quickly, and always completely plausibly. Which is so very mucho-importanto to me :)


I love, love, loved this book, and if you'll please excuse me...


(Already cracking open Deadly Décisions)--Cheers & Enjoy♥

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.
 When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?           -Chapters Canada

I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw the cover. I know this seems shallow, but come on, who would not take the time to notice this beauty. You'd have to be crazy not to! This is possibly one of my favourite covers ever! (Ok, rant complete). So not only was the cover dynamically fantabulosa and high-fashion-esque, the description made my hair stand on end. I love dystopian novels, and this one spoke to me like Nutella on a spoon!

Let's just say it did not let me down. I loved the premise of the book, obviously, and it was so completely refreshing and novel, which is always uber-important to me. The polygamy aspect (which I somehow did not pick up on until I started reading the novel) was the cherry on top of this bloody sundae, and I loved all of the references to 'sister wives'. The romance aspect was in some ways not quite strong enough, but overall came out as frothy perfection, if that makes any sense. Romance is pretty much the first thing I look for, and was not as evidently strong at first, but seemed to be woven in just the right way to complete the other themes present throughout: sister wife comraderie, secret longing, and dealing with inevitable death.

My one teensy-weensy complaint (which kills me to mention, for fear of ruining the happy mood) is that the ending somehow seemed eerily easy. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but it somehow rang a little bit off with me. I will just have to wait for more action in the follow-up...

Overall, great read, and I recommend especially to fans of dystopian fiction, but also to anyone looking for their next great read!

Spolier Alert: Don't read past this point if you don't want to know specific book details!

The book starts out with immediate action, right when Rhine is captured, which makes me a little bit sad that we didn't get to see Rowan, Rhine's twin brother who gets left behind, at all, but also makes me think it was genius to have this element, as I'm sure that in the future, if/when we do get to see Rowan, the reunion will be even more epic!

We then get introduced to this amazing dystopia which takes place sometime in the future, when everyone lives to either the age of 20 (for females) or 25 (for males). Basically, our generation has screwed up (which is a theme that I never tire of learning in dystopian novels) and messed up the world. Girls are coveted because there is such need to keep the population going; cue pilagamy theme. Rhine has just been captured, and is luckily chosen out of about 20 girls to become one of the wives of a rich Governor. Rhine stays conscious just long enough to hear the rest of the unchosen girls being executed.

When Rhine gains consciousness again, she is at a palatial 'plantation' of sorts, where she is quickly married off to a rich Linden whose current wife is dying of the virus (that's what they call the thing that is ending everyone's life). But Rhine is not the only captive, she has two sister wives: Cecily, who is tragically too young to be so desperate for their husband's affections; and Jenna, whose sisters were among the girls killed, and has accepted that she will die in two year's time.

As the book plays out, we see the dynamic of this strange modern family. Rhine maintains a short-lived friendship with Linden's first wife, and watches as she tragically dies, and holds onto the wisdom she passes on. We see Cecily lose her innocence and bear a child to Linden, only to see her suffer when Vaughn (Linden's creepy psychopathic father) slowly takes the baby away. We see Rhine struggle through all of these intricate and complex emotions that throughout the entire book just seem ridiculously unfair.

At the same time, people are struggling to find a antidote to the 'virus', and Housemaster Vaughn is supposedly trying to find it, but is eerily secretive and violent. As more and more secrets come to light, it only just builds onto the thirst of truth that I am dying to be quenched in the coming installments.

And on top of everything else is love. Love: which Rhine is desperately trying to understand. The love that she clings to from her twin she had to leave behind. The love for her new sister wives through all the trials they face. The confusing love for her husband who is frustratingly innocent throughout the whole book. And finally the love for Gabriel, which is so forbidden, and I'm sure is about to get more dynamic as this trilogy unfolds.

DeStefano has woven so many complex themes together to produce such an amazing tapestry of dysfunction. I love the tragedy of everything, and I am longing to venture into more of the brilliant fiction of The Chemical Garden Trilogy.

Still high on hope--Cheers & Enjoy♥

The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti

Quinn is surrounded by women with broken hearts. Between her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother, Quinn hears nothing but cautionary tales. Then she gets dumped and starts to wonder if there really are no good men. It doesn't help when Quinn discovers that her selfish, womanizing father has stolen more from the women in his life than their hearts.

Quinn joins forces with the stepsisters she's never met and sets out to right her father's wrongs. Somewhere along the way, she ends up mending her own heart as well.

                                                                              -Fantastic Fiction






I loved this book.  I must admit that it started out pretty slow, but it was so worth its weight in knowledge and wisdom.  I have only ever read one Deb Caletti book, and I admit that it doesn't really stick out in my mind, that is to say it was neither extremely dynamic nor incredibly dull.  I now know why all of her books remain on my book list!  I think it is perfect for all ages, and I have already recommended it to my Maj (which I don't do often, because I know she doesn't read as much as I would like her to, and if she does not like the first page of a book, she will not read it).  I really hope that she chooses to read this one.
So what gives it a 4½ rating, when I already mentioned that it commenced rather sleepily?  I'm not really sure if it's just one of those books that specifically spoke to me, or what, but I found it so emotionally enriching, and just completely relevant to my life right now, and really just spoke to me.  I understand that this is not the most helpful way to explain, but I cannot really put into words how much this book spoke to me, and seemed like the most accurate portrayal of love and family, and everything really.  I recommend it to every woman, though I think that if you are too young, you may not truly understand the messages, and need to read it a second time after you have lived a little more.  It just seems like one of those messages that your mom tells you, "you don't understand now, but you will later" that seemed to frustrate the heck out of me while growing up, but I totally just get now.

This was a very teen romance-ish book, but also dealt with various family dynamics, and every generation was involved, which is why I cannot stress enough that every woman, young or old, should read this book.  The portrait of love is just amazing, and something I think everyone should know and hear at least once.


Spoiler Alert: Don't read after this point if you don't want to know specific book details!


So as aforementioned, the book did start out pretty slowly.  We are introduced to Quinn, the main protagonist and her family.  Her mother, aunt, and grandmother, all single, and weary of men altogether.  Quinn has a younger sister, and of course a father, but her parents are divorced.  She also has a boyfriend, but we can tell right off the bat Quinn is definitely wanting more from that relationship.

So Quinn's father definitely contributes to pretty much all the plot lines going on in the book.  He is selfish, a womanizer, and is pretty much horrible to his children, but not in a physical way.  Just constantly cutting them down very subtly, just enough for Quinn to want more and more from him, which just made me hate him even more.  So basically Quinn is at her father's one day (who is quasi-famous for being in a band, but always lies to make himself look better), and after he tells her that he doesn't think he is going to pay for her to go to college (even though he is filthy rich), Quinn is in his living room and notices all the little nick-nacks that her father has always had, are in fact not his, like he has been boasting whenever he has company over.  They actually all belong to his ex-girlfriends and wives, that he has treated in the same way he treats his daughters (like trash, but just not enough for them to really realize how horrible he is).

So Quinn decides to contact her half-sister Frances Lee, whom she has only met once, and go on a "karmic road trip" to return all of these posessions that their father has stolen from the various women in his life.  I thought this was epic, because we got to see all of these women, along with the three daughters that this man neglects, and what this man did to them.  It was truly eye-opening, and I loved it.  Of course, along the way, Quinn meets Jake, a guy who looks like trouble and seems to fit her mother's criteria for the "wrong guy" to a tee.  Of course they fall in love, predictably, but in such a wholesome and true way, that it makes me smile when I think about it.

Of course the girl's journey has some bumps along the way, but in the end, they become closer than ever, and realize truly how horrible their father is, especially Quinn who is just constantly vying for his affection and love, despite that he is just too selfish to give it.

What I found truly remarkable about the book were the passages from each woman in the book, explaining love, what it means to them, and how they came to the realization, and grew to be the remarkable women that they are.  At first, the passages were a tad confusing, because they jump back and forth between all women (which there are lots), and I wasn't completely sure of who was who at first.  But then I realized that it didn't really matter; the messages were the important things to know.  Whether that woman was talking about Quinn's father or not, or abusive guys, or nice guys that weren't right for them, I think that it truly conveyed messages to all women about love, and what it means to share that with the right someone, and respect yourself.

I really cannot convey into words how amazing this book was, and the amazing writing of Deb Caletti.  She is obviously amazing, and I cannot wait to read more of her stuff!


Fulfilled--Cheers & Enjoy♥

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Nine of us came here.  We look like you.  We talk like you.  We live among you.  But we are not you.  We can do things you dream of doing.  We have powers you dream of having.  We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen.  We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books-but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them.  But they found us and started hunting us first.  Now all of us are running.  Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in.  We have lived among you without you knowing.
But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They Killed them all.

I am Number Four.  I am Next.                                                 -Chapters Canada


This book was pretty amazing.  I did see it a lot before I decided to read it, the movie tie-in version that is (which I loathe for any book!), as I passed by chapters, and a little bit on the Internet.  There were some factors that made me want to read it, though, as with any book.
 
First of all, I realized that it is a movie as well.  Both I had been aware of, but hadn't really put together that they were one and the same until about two weeks before the movie release.  I instantly knew I had to read it, because of course any book-to-movie fandango needs to be book then movie, in that order, and that order only.  Also, the fact that Alex Pettyfer plays the lead in the movie was pretty persuasive, as I can see that he is gonna be like THE hit new face around Hollywood for at least the next little while (you really do not even want me to elaborate on my prediction).  Thirdly, the author(s), whom are cleverly anonymiscized by the pseudonym Pittacus Lore, is made up in part by James Frey.  This intrigues me immensely, as I have of course read A Million Little Pieces (and only part of My Friend Leonard, probably the only book EVER that I have not finished) and am terribly familiar with the Oprah controversy that surrounds Frey.  I also have a certain fondness for Diana Agron (she plays the love interest in the movie) due to her being one of the stars of Glee.. and come one, I would die for Glee..

Anyway, so now you know some of the background.
Having said that, this book was marvelous, had me hooked from the beginning.  It is sci-fi, but in a very humanistic and subtle way, I found.  Kinda of dystopian as well, which made me reminiscent of The Uglies trilogy/saga by Scott Westerfeld, in the way that they mention Earth in a very allegorical way, that serves to warn us ready, subtly, of the harm we cause our planet every day, and the possible consequences.  Love that.

I also want to mention, before I get into detail, that the romantic aspect was delicious, and I hope to see it carried through the series :)


Spoiler Alert: Don't read after this point if you don't want to know specific book details!


The book starts out very intriguingly, introducing us into the novel ideas that surround John and Henri, and their planet, Lorien.  We learn quite fast that they are in danger.  John especially, since he is Number Four in line, the first three already killed.  When John gets the third tattoo on his leg, he knows that Number Three is dead.  This means that they need move again, which is all that they really know since arriving on Earth, when their planet and race were absolutely obliterated by Mogadorians.  There are many other important details that I'm not going to get into now, but I find them all interesting and new, and that is pretty important to me, as, since I've read so many books, I rarely run into book concepts that don't remind me of another book and are completely unique in themselves.

After moving to Paradise, Ohio, it doesn't take John long to fall for fair Sarah Hart.  This is really quite obvious, but still in a very obvious way.  So John is continually told by Henri (his guardian from Lorien) to keep a low profile, so that they won't be tracked by the Mogadorians, but John's Legacies (powers) are just now emerging, and he of course cannot help but to use them at various times to save Sarah.

Of course this leads to the Mogadorians arriving, right after John is forced to tell Sarah the truth about himself.  The books ends shortly after this, after an almost too good to be true fight (almost was too easy, but I guess I can let it go, just this once).  Number Six shows up, and Henri dies, which I still don't quite want to believe is the truth :(  .  The book is a series, and now I guess that John and Six are gonna meet up with the remaining four numbers, to battle it out with the Mogadorians, so they can save the Earth and return to their planet.

I just hope John comes back for Sarah.
And does not fall for Six, which was subtly foreshadowed in the novel.
Although, I may have to come back and remind myself of what I am thinking now, because we all know how easily swayed I am by a little romance :D


Wanting to continue--Cheers & Enjoy♥