The Ghoul Next Door

Review Time! The Ghoul Next Door is the sequel to Monster High written by best selling author of The Cliques, Lisi Harrison. It's a MG/YA novel, I do believe it was written for the younger YA crowd but nevertheless I think it's one that everyone would enjoy! Thanks to Hachette for the review copy! You guys rock!

(Goodreads) Cleopatra de Nile: 

Cleo was the queen bee of the RADs, the normies, and everyone in between at Merston High. But now it's "Frankie this" and "Melody that" . . . these new girls sure know how to get her lashes in a tangle. When Cleo lands a Golden Teen Vogue photo opp for her friends everything seems to be back on track...until they bail to be in some film . . . Frankie and Melody's film! Can't a royal get some loyal?


Frankie Stein:


Frankie lost her head over Brett once and vows never to do it again. Not that she has a choice. Bekka is clinging to her guy like saran. But when Brett comes up with a plan that could help the RADS live freely, sparks fly. And Bekka will stop at nothing to put out their flames. Even if it means destroying the entire monster community.

Melody:


The clock is tick-tick-ticking away. Melody has a serious deadline to save her boyfriend, Jackson, from being exposed by the vengeance-seeking Bekka. But Cleo is making it royally difficult for the normie while threatening her acceptance into their exclusive group. A group that melody suspects she has more in common with than she even thought.
 
The Short Story - A witty and humorous sequel to Monster High where freaky is fabulous! Very cute and fluffy, it's novel that's sure to bring smiles to your face. Short, exciting and so cliched that it's hard not to love! Bubbly, fun and monstrously exciting, The Ghoul Next Door is a novel to be enjoyed by book lovers of all ages!
 
The Long Story - Remember when I said it's hard to say whether it's writing for a MG or YA crowd? Well it is because while the language is very easy and the plot is a little silly and it's all very cliched just like most of the MG novels out there, it has the quality that compiles YA readers to pick it up and read it! It's silly and fluffy and I'm almost convinced Lisi wrote it for the YA crowd so we can all have something laugh about and say ' Well, that was cute and silly but definitely enjoyable'.
 
I recently reviewed Monster High on the blog and gave it a fairly high rating since I really enjoyed but I do think, I like The Ghoul Next Door even better. The plot was much more exciting, alot more actions, a cliff say ' Well, that was cute and silly but definitely enjoyable'.hanger ending and yes, it was cliched and very "fiction" but it's just what you need after a stressful day! I really liked how it's told from different perspective, also this is a theory but it could be possible that for every novel in the series, Lisi adds one more main character. Monster High was told from the perspective of Frankie and Melody but The Ghoul Next Door was told from the perspectives of Frankie, Melody and Cleo. Nevertheless, very cute and fluffy plot, nothing to give you nightmares!
 
The characters were fantastic! We have a re-appearance of our main characters from the last book, Frankie Stein ( what an awesome name) and Melody Carver but we're also introduced to a new main characters who was briefly introduced in Monster High. Cleo is....prima donna, she's the first thing that would come to mind if some said the word 'Queen Bee', rather shallow and a girl who shops by brand and needs to be in the centre of actions, she's a totally hilarious! Anna Wintour's even mentioned in the novel along with Cairo Couture? It's really a great cast and the best part is more and more characters are introduced as we progress!
 
The writing is this novel is very easy to read. The vocabulary is rather limited so understanding should be no problem. The style is fun and very comprehensible. It's a rather quick read only about 260 pages but it's seems so much shorter because it's so NOT serious! Very cute and fluffy, it's only words that can describe this awesome read!
 
Looking a light summer read? Nothing serious and enjoyable for everyone? Just a laugh and very cliched? Strongly recommend you to pick up Monster High ( which has it's own merchandise) and then the Ghoul Next Door! Enjoyable for readers of all ages!
 
Badass Bookie xx

In My Mailbox #28 + Changes on the Blog!

Morning Lovelies! I'm writing this post while I eat my breakfast on this cold morning :) In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren ( you all know who she is right?) Basically, we just share the totally awesome contents of our mailboxes so we're all tuned into new and upcoming reads! I haven't done IMM for four weeks so this is a month's worth!

For Review -

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

In the Arms of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane

ARC The Goddess Test bi Aimee Carter

Dark Heart Rising by Lee Monroe

The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

Winter's Shadow by M.J. Hearle

Tigers's Curse by Colleen Houck

Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

( Thanks to Harlequin, Hachette, Text and Pan Macmillan)

Gifted -

ARC Fateful by Claudia Gray

ARC Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

( Thanks to my BFFL Chanel @ Page Numbered , not kidding, she's actually my BFFL, as in I go to school with her and everything! She recently started her own book blog and it woudl be great to see you guys support her! Her mum owns a bookshop which is how she gets totally awesome ARCs before anyone else! PLUS, she's giving away a copy of The Lying Game by Sara Shepard on her blog right now!)

Won -

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Body Finder Swag ( not pictured )

( Thanks to http://www.lil-library.blogspot.com/ and http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com/ )

Okay! Now onto changes on the blog! Not many but I shall list them anyway!

1) The Badass Bulletin is no longer going to be a feature on the blog! Seriously, they take ALOT of time and with the amount of response I get ( one or two comments ) I don't think it's worth it, so no more Badass Bulletin for now!

2) I will no longer be announcing winners on the blog! Winners will be contacted directly through email, I don't see much of a point with these posts, if you win, I'll contact you! ( The winners of Embrace and Enticed have been notified)

3) Breakfast with the Bookie is back on! Not a change but it's relevant I guess :)

Now! What's in your IMM?

Badass Bookie xx

Siren

Review Time! (I should be doing my science assignment) Siren by Tricia Rayburn was released last year and that's exactly how long it's been sitting on my shelf!!! Undercurrent the second book in the series comes out this month so I really pulled to together to read this before the release date of the sequel! Thanks to Penguin for the review copy! ( sorry it took so long, apologies)

(Goodreads) Vacationing in Winter Harbor, Maine, is a tradition for Vanessa and Justine Sands, and that means spending time with the Carmichael boys. This summer, Vanessa is determined to channel some of her older sister’s boldness, get over her fear of the ocean, and maybe turn her friendship with Simon Carmichael into something much more.



But when Justine goes cliff-diving after a big family argument, and her body washes ashore the next day, Vanessa is sure that it was more than an accident. She is more certain of this, when she discovers that her sister was keeping some big secrets and Caleb Carmichael’s gone missing. Suddenly, the entire oceanfront town is abuzz when a series of grim, water-related accidents occur, with the male victims washed ashore grinning from ear to ear.


Vanessa and Simon team up to figure out if these creepy deaths have anything to do with Justine and Caleb. But will what Vanessa discovers mean the end of her summer romance, or even life as she knows it?

The Short Story ? - A hauntingly beautiful tale with a fresh new take on the paranormal genre! Move aside Vampires, the Mermaids are taking the spotlight! A dark gripping plot, a well-developed cast of characters and beautiful writing that sent shivers down my back...Forget Ariel, these mermaids are plain mean ;) A most original plot!

The Long Story ? - Quite alot of mixed reviews on this one, it's one of those love it or hate it types. I've read a few of those 1/5 rating reviews and yes, I get where they're coming from but I don't agree with them! I absolutely loved this novel despite the fact that the romance in my taste was a little lacking. However, in my opinion the focus of Siren wasn't on the romance but the plot itself so it's a fair deal ( this is coming from a romance junkie...)

The plot can only be described as a Paranormal Mystery not a Paranormal Romance, while there is romance it plays a fairly minor role. Some of the bad reviews described the plot as "choppy". I agree that the plot is a little hard to follow in places but instead of looking at it as ill-planned and "choppy" I think what Tricia was going for is the sense of mystery. That sense of mystery was carried out all through the novel til the very end! I really enjoyed the originality and the plot was unpredictable which was a bonus! Brownie points for picking Sirens instead of something cliched! I also liked the way Tricia gave a little background information about these Sirens so readers are aware that they're basically man-eating ( not literally), murderess mermaids.

The characters were really well-developed! I liked how Tricia had a mixture of characters with very different personalities. Vanessa, our protagonist was portrayed as a innocent girl who lives in her sister's shadow. However in turn of her sister's death, she find the courage to stand up to her fears and becomes the hero of the novel! I felt connected to Vanessa to an extent because I understand how it feels to be in her position ( not about the sister although that was pretty bad too). Our main love interest Simon would probably be one of the best parts of the novel. I didn't fall in love with him but he was believable, I have read countless books where the love interest is too perfect? More brownie points for believable characters ( in a paranormal novel :P)

Last but not least, Tricia has an absolutely amazing YA voice. Very distinctive and powerful, it captivated my attention during the whole novel! Very comfortable writing style and easy to read, this could definitely be a one-sitting-read! Would definitely recommend this novel to anyone above the age of thirteen, the content is fairly clean :)

Edgy, dark and gripping, Siren is the ultimate paranormal mystery! Fantastic characters, beautifully writing and a hauntingly captivating plot, looking for something to read this summer? Forget Vampires, pick Mermaids!

Rating - 5/5

Badass Bookie xx

Dark Heart Forever

Review Time! Dark Heart Forever is the first novel in the series written by Lee Monroe, the second novel Dark Heart rising was released this month or early next month depending on where in the world you are! This one came for review from Hachette last year but I haven't had the chance to review it til now! Thanks for the copy!

(Goodreads) Jane Jonas is nearing her 16th birthday and troubled by unsettling recurring dreams where the same mysterious boy her age comes to her, telling Jane that they are each other's destiny. Her mother is increasingly anxious about Jane's disruptive sleepwalking episodes, but for Jane her dream world and reality are about to collide ...When she develops a friendship with an enigmatic stranger in town, the blond, uber-cool Evan, it's exciting, it's new, and Jane wants him more than she's ever wanted anybody - until her mystery dream boy gets in the way. Now Jane is caught between two worlds: one familiar, but tinged with romance and excitement; the other dark and dangerous, where angels, werewolves, and an irresistible stranger are trying to seduce her ...

The Short Story ? - Dark and captivating paranormal romance that's highly original and exciting! A brand new love story overlapped with an haunting paranormal landscape. An admirable heroine and two handsome boys equals one of the most interesting love triangles I've read yet! Original, exciting and full of the unpredictable!

The Long Story ? - The first thing that caught my eye about this book was the cover...how gorgeous is it? It fits with the novel which is more than I can say about other novels I have read that yes, have a beautiful cover and yes, are fantastic but they have nothing to do with each other. I went and goodreads the novel and there were lots of mixed reviews about it. It's one of those novels that you'll really like or you'll be extremely disappointed with.

I really enjoyed it. There were parts that I wish that I could change but overall it was a great read! The highlight for me would be the romance. It was an original love triangle. I usually stay away from love triangles because a) they're getting old b) I like happy endings for EVERYONE but this was a pretty one - sided love triangle. It's a romance where you won't feel sorry for the underdog because of this "twist". It's a romance that will leave you thinking ' wow, that's not what I expected....'

In turn, the romance plays a significant part in the plot. The novel is quite slow moving and most of the action is packed into the last third of the book. It's a novel that immediately introduces the paranormal touch so we don't have to sit through another cliched Twilight human/non-human forbidden-I'm-not-good-for-you-but-I-can't-stay-away beginning. It's highly original and while most of it is set on Earth ( which part is still a mystery, America or UK), Lee Monroe has created a new world where some of the novel is set.

Last but not least, the characterisation is really good! Jane ( don't judge her by her name!) is a strong, admirable heroine who is completely different from any other protagonist I have read. She's been through some bullying issues but was still strong and ready to defend her family. Lucas is complete sweetie, cute, compassionate and totally into Jane even though he won't admit it! Evan on the other hand, is a hot Aussie ready to steal away Jane's heart! I struggled to chose between the two until the very end when the choice became very obvious!

Overall, Dark Heart Forever is an enjoyable romance that will leave you wanting for more! Great characters, a plot full of twist and secrets and a romance worth remembering! Bookie recommends Dark Heart Forever to everyone looking for a nice summer ( or winter!) read!

Rating - 4/5

Badass Bookie xx

Where She Went

Review Time! Where She Went is the sequel/companion novel to Internationally Bestselling Debut, If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I'm under the impression that you can read this novel as a stand-alone since they're told from different characters and aren't really connected. Thanks to Random House for the review copy!

(Goodreads) It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.


Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future–and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.


The Short Story ? - A deeply moving love story that stole my breath away! The long awaited sequel to If I Stay is one of the best, most heart-felt stories I have read this year! A novel about love and loss and the beauty of music. Beautifully written, enriched characters and a love story so heart-breakingly beautiful, it goes without being said that Where She Went is a winner!

The Long Story ? - Quite frankly, I didn't like If I Stay very much. Firstly it was a dark contemporary and secondly some of the content was quite graphic in the blood and gore kind of way. I wasn't so sure that I was going to read Where She Went until I found out that it was set three years after If I Stay and told from Adam's perspective. Male lead + Mystery break up = Good Book.

I cried my heart out when I read this book. It's was just that moving, I'm usually annoyed with lyrical writing and books about self-pity protagonist but this was different. Adam deserved his own story, I wanted to read about his grief, how hard it was for him to cope without Mia, what their break up had done to him. It was an captivating experience, dealing with someone else's pain. Gayle's writing is absolutely beautiful, I admire her ability to write so well from a male's perspective but as well has her choice of vocabulary and figurative speech.

The plot was short and long, short because the bulk of the novel was written about events that happened during a 24 hour period. Long because it was rather slow moving - in a good way though, Gayle's really taken everything into perspective giving readers a clear view of everything. Just like If I Stay, the novel alternated between snippets of the present and the past. What I really liked about the novel is that every event that happened held a little it of significance. Unlike some novels that where some events happened just for the sake of filling up pages, every page meant something, it was detailed and every words, every place, every event meant something to either Mia or Adam.

The same characters we were introduced to in If I Stay are brought into Where She Went as well. However the novel is pretty much based around Adam and Mia so that the other characters hold really minor significances. We don't see so much character development as it's more like a deeper insight into Adam, our main characters who was only briefly introduced as Mia's love interest in If I Stay. Quite frankly I didn't pay so much attention to him in If I I Stay but now I wish I had because I'm totally head over heels in love with this man! Luckily I have my own copy of If I Stay so I can!

Bottom line, Where She Went is a deeply moving novel that every romance should read! I don't care whether you skip If I Stay or read them one after another but I strongly encourage you to pick up Where She Went. Beautifully written, achingly heart moving, a monster tear-jerker and one of the greatest love stories ever. Bookie approves!

Rating 5/5

Badass Bookie xx

What Happened to Goodbye

Review Time! What Happened to Goodbye is Sarah Dessen's latest novel. I'm sure you've all heard of her right? She's the author of The Truth About Forever, Just Listen, The Lullaby and lots more! I would like to thank Penguin for sending me a review copy!

(Goodreads) Another town. Another school. Another Mclean. Ever since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her father have been fleeing their unhappy past. And Mclean's become a pro at reinventing herself with each move. But in Lakeview, Mclean finds herself putting down roots and making friends—in part, thanks to Dave, the most real person Mclean's ever met. Dave just may be falling in love with her, but can he see the person she really is? Does Mclean herself know?




The Short Story ? - What Happened to Goodbye is a coming-to-age novel that reflect on many issues real teenagers face everyday, all around the world. Great characters and clean cut, a novel for everyone to enjoy. Fantastic writing that's both comforting and wholesome! Realistic and relate-able, What Happened to Goodbye is a novel about friendship, family and rediscovering who you are!

The Long Story ? -  I'm not a fan of Sarah Dessen's books, it's not that she doesn't write good books because she does but I just don't like what she writes about. All her books deal with real teenagers and I'm not a fan of "real" writing, I know of bloggers who love "real" contemporary but quite frankly I find them annoying and borderline boring, what's the point of fiction, if it' so real? Keeping that biast view in mind, let's continue....

I enjoyed it. But it' not my favourite Dessen novel. I honestly thought it was a great book, very clean-cut and wholesome. A novel that would have a parent approval sticker on the cover. The characters are more neglected than rebellious and it's relate-able. Thousands of kids have a hard-time dealing with parent divorces and Mclean is an excellent example of a child who's been torn up by a bitter divorce. So torn up to the point that she doesn't want to be who she is, to a point where she would rather pretend to be someone else and live their life.

The writing is one of the great things about the novel. Sarah has an amazing YA voice, its comforting and  wholesome. Very easy to read and understand. The vocabulary is pretty basic but Sarah comes up with the best lines and figurative imagery. I wish I had marked a quote to show you guys but ...I haven't. Some of the best writing I have read!

The characterisation was another great thing about the novel. The character were all very well portrayed, very real and easy to relate to. One of the best things about the characterisation is that the physical appearance of the characters aren't cliched! Dave, our love interest is quite plain looking from what I gathered but is secretly a genius. The secondary characters play an important part in Mclean's character development. In a way they were the reason she changed to be someone better!

What Happened to Goodbye is a novel that I enjoyed but still thought that there were areas for improvement. It's a novel about family, friends and the importanance of facing problems instead of running away, a novel about finding yourself. I really wished that I enjoyed the romance because that's the only thing that's stopping me from giving it a 5/5 rating! I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a quiet read, perfect for summer!

Rating - 4/5

Badass Bookie x

Starcrossed

Review Time! Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini is an 2011 YA Debut, I've been dying to read this books and I'm so honoured to receive an ARC from Pan Mac, you guys are absolutely amazing! Absolutely LOVE the cover ( first thing I noticed about the book, don't judge me, I judge the book :P). Anyway, let's get started shall we?

(Goodreads) Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.


As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

The Short Story ? - Greek Mythology is the bomb! A passionate romance, an ancient curse, a plot full of action...are you bought yet? Should I go on? Fantastic characterisation, beautifully written and some devastatingly hot guys ( Hector's mine, so back off, find your own hunk). A stunner of a Debut! Josephine, we're glad to have you onboard ( yes, today the YA community is a cruise ship)

The Long Story ? - I honestly didn't know what to expect with this one. I was dying to read it because of the cover but I didn't actually know what it was about. The blurb said Percy Jackson ( brilliant) for girls and that's totally not true!!! It's so much more interesting ( in the girl drama department), the storyline is more complex and it's clearly written for an older crowd, bottom line - Starcrossed is a great love story that gives forbidden a whole new meaning!

The one thing I can't stop thinking ( and dreaming about, not even kidding) is the characters. Some of the best characters EVER, Helen our very own supernatural protagonist is one hell of a badass. We see alot of character development in her throughout the length of the books. She's portrayed as a shy, head down, background blending, girl who doesn't really belong anywhere because she's "supernatural" ( I'm really taking this Non-Spoiler thing to the heart guys). After she meets Lucas, she's learnt to appreciate who she is and works up the courage she never knew she had and by the end of the novel she's really an independent girl I've grown to like and admire.

The romance is another great thing about this debut. The whole novel is pretty much based around this forbidden romance between Lucas and Helen because of this ancient curse between these "people". You can feel the sizzling passion between the two and Josephine you write fantastic "kissing scenes" ( and I actually mean kissing scenes when I said that). Along with the main love story there's also a little bit of love going around with some of the minor characters. All the characters are unbelievably good-looking ( *fist pump*) and I'm totally in love with Hector!

The plot was great as well! It's a little slow to warm-up to and Before-Lucas Helen did annoy me a little, she could have been so much more....However, enter Delos Family and bam! Fast-paced non-stop action, twist and turn and more secrets then ...me? Addictive, dark and gripping story that will hold onto you and never let you go! Definitely a OSR ( One Sitting Read) although it's about 500 pages long so you might have to wait til the weekend to read this or you'll find yourself in a book hangover!

Starcrossed is one debut you don't want to miss! Fast-paced plot, forbidden romance and some of the best characterisation I've read lately. Lover of all things Greek or just looking for the perfect read? Do yourself a favour and stop hunting down your next read since Bookie's found it for you!

Rating 5/5

Can't wait for the next one!

Badass Bookie xx