Review: Unbreakable

Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris

Format: Trade Paperback (ARC)
Pages: 384
Published: April 30, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
Genre: Fiction, Dystopian, Young Adult, Series

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she'll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but civilization is slowly rebuilding, and life is starting to resume some kind of normalcy-until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up, asking for Janelle's help. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human-trafficking ring-kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths. And Ben, with his unique abilities, is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn't turn himself over within five days. When Janelle learns that someone she cares about-someone from her own world-has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger.

Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they're lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she's in way over her head-and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?

Review:

**NOTE: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher.  However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings**

The world as you know it has been devastated and the person you love most is gone.  Now, people you care about are disappearing... what do you do?

As with all sequel books, it took me a while before I remembered what was happening and where things were left off but once that was under my belt, I was back into the story like never before.  There is something about dystopian novels that grips the reader like no other genre... whether it is the fact that we are reading about the unknown, or the belief that this could actually be the future... there is so much room for interpretation and yet so many authors seem to view the world the same... as destroyed.

Once again, we find Janelle as the main character only this time she is a bad-ass fighter.  I LOVE this new Janelle.   The fact that she is willing to risk everything she has left to protect those that mean the most to her is such a wonderful character trait and I really enjoyed reading the book from her perspective.  It was also great to have all the characters from the first book back in play and to see how everyone has grown and adapted to what was going on around them.

Elizabeth Norris has created a wonderful series with both Unraveling and Unbreakable being must reads and total 'sit on the edge of your seat' stories.   I believe that the series is now complete but that, by no means, will make me forget the new 'world' that she has created.  Forever will I remember the Interuniverse travel and always wonder if my double is as awesome as I am... okay, maybe not!  (it's really just not possible to replicate this kind of awesome!)

Overall, Unbreakable is an absolute MUST read for all those fans of both young adult fiction and dystopian novels.  It will leave you with an understanding of what it means to protect your heart while still being prepared to be hurt.

Review: Someday, Someday, Maybe

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

Format: Trade Paperback (ARC)
Pages: 352
Published: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Random House Canada
Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 3/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

It's January 1995, and Franny Banks has just six months left of the three-year deadline she set for herself when she came to New York, dreaming of Broadway and doing "important" work. But all she has to show for her efforts so far is a part in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters, and a gig waiting tables at a comedy club. Her roommates―her best friend Jane, and Dan, an aspiring sci-fi writer―are supportive, yet Franny knows a two-person fan club doesn't exactly count as success. Everyone tells her she needs a backup plan, and though she can almost picture moving back home and settling down with her perfectly nice ex-boyfriend, she's not ready to give up on her goal of having a career like her idols Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep. Not just yet. But while she dreams of filling their shoes, in the meantime, she'd happily settle for a speaking part in almost anything-and finding a hair product combination that works.

Everything is riding on the upcoming showcase for her acting class, where she'll finally have a chance to perform for people who could actually hire her. And she can't let herself be distracted by James Franklin, a notorious flirt and the most successful actor in her class, even though he's suddenly started paying attention. Meanwhile, her bank account is rapidly dwindling, her father wants her to come home, and her agent doesn't return her calls. But for some reason, she keeps believing that she just might get what she came for.

Review:

**NOTE: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher. However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings **

I never know if an actor opting to change mediums is a good idea but I am also not one to cast judgement without giving due diligence.

When I received Someday, Someday, Maybe I had no idea that the author was famed actor, Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls. Honestly, I didn't watch the show so wasn't drawn in by her name. What I liked about this book is that Lauren seems to have written a story that she would be familiar with... An actor trying to make her way in 'Hollywood'.

Did I love this book? No. Was it a fun read? Yes.

While I found the characters to be enjoyable, I thought that Franny was too whiney for my liking. It seemed that when she was handed lemons she opted for a sour face instead of making lemonade (or the best of the given situation). I get that it's a hard industry to get into but giving yourself a deadline and then not working at it seemed off... Or at least it felt like she should have been doing more. I really enjoyed Dan and Jane though (her roommates) and found myself wanting to call them up for drinks!

Someday, Someday, Maybe left me wanting a little more in the story department and it felt like there was a lot of stale story in the middle. So many times I found that I longed for the diary portion of the book because I knew it marked the passing of time.

Overall, not my favourite but I think the story had good bones.

 

Review: Requiem

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Format: eBook
Pages: 391
Published: February 25, 2013
Publisher: HaperCollins Canada
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopian, Series

My Rating: 3/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has transformed. The nascent rebellion that was underway in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven. Pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels.

As Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain of the Wilds, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena and Hana's points of view. They live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

Review:

**NOTE: This review may contain spoliers to those who have not yet read Delirium or Pandemonium**

First off, waiting for a sequel/series book is a horrible thing and I feel that some of what I was feeling after Pandemonium was lost in the wait for Requiem.  I was spoiled with series like Twilight and The Hunger Games because I only caught onto them after the books had all been released.

Requiem picks up right where Pandemonium left off... in the epic battle for Lena's heart.  After believing that the love of her life, Alex, has been killed, she had moved on to Julian and would have lived 'happily ever after' has Alex not suddenly shown up out of, virtually, nowhere.  Would this 'new' Alex still hold a flame for Lena or would Lena have to live with the consequences of moving on?

I don't know where to begin with this review.  For one, I really enjoyed this series.  I thought that it was unique but not so over-the-top for a dystopian that it was unbelieveable.  I found the characters loveable and felt that I was able to bond with them as a reader.  However, I did not like the constant change of pace that Requiem brought.  I found Hana's chapters to be more enjoyable than Lena's because they were different from the 'norm' of the Wilds... spend one day (book) in the wilds, spend a million. 

Once again, I enjoyed all of the characters from the previous books and was glad to see most of them back to finish off the series.  The new characters, Pippa, Bea and Fred, added to the overall feel of the story but, in my opinion, weren't necessary.  In a series like this, more characters doesn't always make it better.  In fact, it actually made some of the storyline hard to follow.

The ending of this series left so much to be desired... so many UNanswered questions and really, an overall bad taste in my mouth.  Not wanting to spoil the ending for those who still wish to read the book, and also having not read any other reviews, I am not sure if I am alone in this feelings.  When I read eBooks, my biggest complaint is that books just suddenly end and I feel like I wasn't prepared and that is exactly how Requiem was for me.  I feel like part of the story was left off.  If there was another book coming, I could understand but there isn't (as far as I know).

Overall, a sad ending to the series.  I wish I could say that it ended with a bang, but it really just fell flat for me.

 

Review: Wedding Night

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Format: Trade Paperback (ARC)
Pages: 464
Published: April 23, 2013
Publisher: Random House Canada
Genre: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose during lunch at one of London's fanciest restaurants. But when his big question involves a trip abroad, not a trip down the aisle, she's completely crushed. So when Ben, an old flame, calls her out of the blue and reminds Lottie of their pact to get married if they were both still single at thirty, she jumps at the chance. No formal dates-just a quick march to the altar and a honeymoon on Ikonos, the sun-drenched Greek island where they first met years ago.

Their family and friends are horrified. Fliss, Lottie's older sister, knows that Lottie can be impulsive-but surely this is her worst decision yet. And Ben's colleague Lorcan fears that this hasty marriage will ruin his friend's career. To keep Lottie and Ben from making a terrible mistake, Fliss concocts an elaborate scheme to sabotage their wedding night. As she and Lorcan jet off to Ikonos in pursuit, Lottie and Ben are in for a honeymoon to remember, for better . . . or worse.

Review:

**NOTE: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher.  However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings.**

What do you get when you mix a wedding story with a Sophie Kinsella book?  My DREAM story! 

You won't find me saying that this is the most unique read I have ever come across, but you will hear that it was a great read and was, in fact, much different than I thought it was going to be at first glance.

First off, I loved Lottie!  Her character was so fun and easy-going, even though it didn't start out that way, and I really enjoyed that she was willing to take a chance on love.  It isn't often that you hear of someone rushing to the alter with a long-lost love and I found that part of the story very refreshing.  Did I hold out great hopes for Lottie and Ben?  No... but that didn't mean that I wasn't secretly hiding in a corner cheering them on.   Fliss is another character who I actually grew to love as well.  I could understand her spot as the older sister who is looking out for her little sister's best interests.  Sure, she drove me crazy with her sabotage plans but hey, it certainly made for an interesting 'wedding night'.

Sophie Kinsella has, once again, been able to capture the imaginations of her readers.  Whether it is in the way that she describes the scenery of her stories, the characters who come to life on the pages or the wonderful plot she so carefully lays out; she is able to bring each of her stories to life and Wedding Night is no exception. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and feel that, if you have read any of Sophie Kinsella's stories before, you will not be disappointed with this one.  A true gem with an ending you won't see coming.

 

Review: The Storyteller

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Format: eBook
Pages: 480
Published: February 26, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada
Genre: Fiction, Historial Fiction, WW2

My Rating: 5/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Some stories live forever . . .

Sage Singer is a baker. She works through the night, preparing the day's breads and pastries, trying to escape a reality of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother's death. When Josef Weber, an elderly man in Sage's grief support group, begins stopping by the bakery, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Despite their differences, they see in each other the hidden scars that others can't, and they become companions.

Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried and shameful secret-one that nobody else in town would ever suspect-and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor. If she says yes, she faces not only moral repercussions, but potentially legal ones as well. With her own identity suddenly challenged, and the integrity of the closest friend she's ever had clouded, Sage begins to question the assumptions and expectations she's made about her life and her family. When does a moral choice become a moral imperative? And where does one draw the line between punishment and justice, forgiveness and mercy?

Review:

It's not very often that I will willingly pick up a book that is about World War 2 because I find a lot of the details that revolve around that era very disturbing and, honestly, I read for enjoyment.  However, if Jodi is writing it, I am going to be reading it.

In my reading history, I can honestly say that I have read three or four books about the holocaust, including Sarah's Key, and none of them have left me feeling even close to the way The Storyteller did.  Yes, the book is fictional, but I read the entire story assuming that the characters names were the only fictional part of the book.  I imagine that many of the details that Jodi Picoult wrote into the story were actual accounts of how horrible it would have been to be a Jewish prisioner of war.  My brain just can't even comprehend how awful it was for them and my heart hurts thinking about it.

The Storyteller is broken into three parts and the first and third are focused around Sage and Josef... a very unlikely pairing.  When Josef asks Sage the most unthinkable of questions, it opens up the second part of the story, and my absolutely favourite part.  Being taken on a journey through Germany and into the 'camps' through eyes of a strong, terrified woman was something that I don't think I will ever forget.

Jodi Picoult has honestly taught me more about the war than I have ever learned before.  The amount of research and care that went into the telling of this story is unmatched by any other author I have read before. 

If you have read Jodi's previous books and ever been moved, you have got to pick this one up... TODAY!  I have and will tell every single person I can about The Storyteller.  A definite MUST READ!

Nail Polish Lottery Club ~ Week 9

You guys... I have an issue... when started the Nail Polish Lottery Club (#nplclub), I had just under 200 polishes that were untried in my collection.  As of today, that number is 233 and growing (literally, I have about 9 more Julep's en route and a boatload of Sinful Colors plus a #nailmail... YIKES).  I believe that the 'untrieds' will NEVER officially be tried at this point.  Am I the only one with this problem?  PLEASE let it not be so!!

Anyways, this week's random number was 103, clearly not an issue for me, but if you don't have a hoarding issue and finding 103 isn't possible, you can add the numbers together (1 + 0 + 3 = 4) and you should be able to find a more useable number.

Number 103 in my collection is polish that I received in a swap with MissHollyBerries and also is from a brand that I have not yet tried.  It is Deeper Dive by Wet n Wild (Spoiled) and this line isn't actually available in Canada (or at least not until Target opens... fingers crossed for new brands). 

Trying a new brand is always exciting and I have had nothing but great luck with Wet n Wild so I had a great feeling about this polish.  At first, it appeared very think, which is not something I generally mind and the glitter in Deeper Dive is very fine so it didn't matter so much.  I was able to get, what I thought was, an opaque look within two coats but once it dried, I could definitely see a VNL (visable nail line).  The colour was great, the look was okay but the wear was HORRIBLE!  I don't normally report back on that because I wear the polishes on the day that I post but this week, I was able to do a wear test and YIKES... the next day I had SOOO much chipping that I had to change the polish.  NOT GOOD!

Not sure if the Spoiled line is something that I will be able to fall in love with but I have a few more polishes on my untried list so I will definitely be keeping you posted.

Have you ever tried the Spoiled polishes by Wet n Wild?  What were your thoughts?

Nail Polish Lottery Club guidelines link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PJtYOL0VJjvrrfDVgK-3GSnjCcuyRDdj0Gb9IZKMjQA/edit
Nail Polish Lottery Club Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/NailPolishLotteryClub
Nail Polish Lottery Club Twitter hashtag: #nplclub

Until next week, happy painting!!

Beautiful Creatures by PurMinerals

Browsing the shelves of the high end makeup section at Shoppers Drug Mart, my booknerd eye instantly landed on something that seem to connect both my 'obsession' worlds... books and makeup. 

It appears that in celebration for the upcoming release of the movie Beautiful Creatures, a movie based on the best selling novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, PurMinerals has decided to release a makeup palette and gift set based on the colours of the movie.  I was able to do some in store, on the sly, swatching and picture taking and hope that you enjoy!

 

Swatch order:

Top Row - Fantasy, Secret, Forbidden, Cursed
Botton Row - Supernatural, Siren, Spellbound, Fate

The lipgloss is just a clear gloss with a slightly sticky feel and the eye pencil is a black eye kohl that is soft and would be great for the water line.

This set is available for a LIMITED TIME ONLY and was $46 Canadian.

ENJOY!