I am Number Four Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the movie adaption of I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore, I have a copy of the book up for grabs.

Here's what the book's about:

John Smith is not what meets the eye.
He looks like your average teenager, but what you don't know is that he is actually an alien from another planet called Lorien. 
Invaded by Mogadorians, the people of the planet Lorien are forced to flee to Earth. 
There Were Nine. The Mogadorians have killed three.
John Smith is Number Four.
Can he save his life and those of Paradise, Ohio, before it's too late?

OPEN INTERNATIONALLY 

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STARTS Friday February 25th 

ENDS  SATURDAY March 12th
ANNOUNCED Sunday 13th March

READ THE REVIEW HERE

watch the trailer below

I'm excited about...

I am really excited about the up-coming release of Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely hearts Club. It is based on the classic Pride and Prejudice, so I am really excited about this!

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom.

Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise.

What are YOU looking forward to??

REVIEW: Lock & Key by Sarah Dessen

After her mom vanished in a stench of drugs and alcohol, Ruby continued to live in the family house alone. Finally found out, the introspective teenager is sent to the luxurious home of her older sister, Cora, whom she hadn't seen in ten years. Everything there seems unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and supremely weird: her fancy new room; her lavish new wardrobe; the exclusive private school where she never quite fits in. Most mysterious of all is Nate, the friendly boy next door who seems to have a deep secret of his own. Another subtle character-driven teen novel by Sarah Dessen, the author of Just Listen and That Summer.


In my honest opinion, I felt that the characters lacked depth. I thought that they were all surface - depth characters, they didn't have any motivations for the decisions they made. 
The characters did not develop or change emotionally throughout the novel, they were not changed for the better or the worse by the end of the novel. 


I also thought that the plot was lacking in occurrence. I mean this in the fact that the plot just kept driving along, there was no interesting twists or turns. It was more of an every day story that made it - to put it simply - boring and monotonus.  The reason that people read fiction novels is simple; to escape everyday life. This novel did not achieve that goal. It left me bored and having not finished it.


I chose this book because it was visually appealing and the plot hinted to a storyline but I was disappointed. 
If i would recommend the age bracket it would be for girls aged 13 - 17.




***  NOTE:   ***
As all my reviews are a matter of opinion, don't feel put off an author or book entirely if I didn't like it. It is my honest opinion and somebody else might like the book. It is all a matter of opinion.

REVIEW: Dash & Lily's book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

A refreshing new novel by the authors of Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, Dash & Lily's book of dares is an original story that will keep you absorbed in it until the last page turns.

 When Dash finds a red notebook in the aisle of his favourite bookstore, he's curious. Opening the notebook, he finds a list of dares, along with a message:

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.” 

As Dash takes up Lily's book of challenges, he finds himself  slowly learning about the Lily who left the book. Will Lily & Dash finally meet, or will they always wonder what each other are like?

Dash & Lily's was a refreshing novel, the plot unlike any other, the characters witty and the twists and turns original. 

I found myself laughing out loud at the characters, the situations that they got in and the overall hilarity that ensues when  David Levithan and Rachel Cohn write a book together.

If you are looking for a great book to read in  a weekend, then this movie-like book is perfect for you. 

I recommend it for girls 13 - 17.

Interview with Luisa Plaja

Meet fabulous author Luisa Plaja, author of The Kiss Series; Split By a Kiss, Swapped By a Kiss & A Stand Alone Novel - Extreme Kissing and she also has a new novel coming out this year: Kiss, Date, Love, Hate...

Read the review for The Kiss Series here

Read the INTERVIEW BELOW

1. Where did you get the idea for The Kiss series; Have you always wanted to write a novel about people switching bodies, or did you see something that inspired you?

I didn't set out to 'split' the character of Jo when I first started writing Split by a Kiss - it happened while I was writing. When I reached Jo and Jake's cupboard scene, I couldn't decide whether or not Jo's new experiences had changed her, and I decided to follow both possibilities in parallel stories. Initially, I was just figuring things out, but I soon noticed that both versions of Jo had a voice and a story to tell, so I stuck with them. After that, the body swap idea for the sequel came naturally. Rachel was always jealous of Jo and uncomfortable in her own skin, and Jo mentioned the various versions of Freaky Friday in Split by a Kiss, so swapping the friends seemed like a perfect way to tell Rachel's story. As for what inspired me to write a body-swap story... Well, I'm not sure, but I can tell you that the novel Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers was one of my favourite books when I was growing up. I re-read it recently and loved it just as much. I highly recommend it!

2. Are any of your characters based on real people?

No, they're all made up! Sometimes I might base parts of characters on my impressions of people, though not necessarily on anyone I've ever met.

3. Do you have any favourite books or authors?

Yes, lots, and I add to my list all the time! I love books that explore relationships, especially those that do so with a light and humorous touch. I have too many favourite authors to list but I do name some of them and review their books on Chicklish (a book blog - http://www.chicklish.co.uk ).

4. Do you have a favourite character or a moment in one of your books?

This is a hard one to answer. I spend such a long time with characters when I write a novel that I can't help forming a relationship with each one, and it feels wrong to pick favourites! I think I'm particularly fond of Rachel, though - I loved getting into her head and writing from her intense, troubled but well-meaning viewpoint. Lex is another character I have a massive soft spot for - you'll meet her in Kiss, Date, Love, Hate!
I do get fond of certain scenes as I'm writing, too, though I often change my mind about this over time. Right now I'd choose: the ice rink scenes in Split by a Kiss, Bets and Zac at the arcade in Extreme Kissing, the finale of Swapped by a Kiss... and the film-making scenes in Kiss, Date, Love, Hate.

5. When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I don't remember a time when I didn't want to be a writer! I think it must have happened around the time that I first learnt to read and I fell in love with books. As I got older, though, I became convinced that writing novels for publication was an impossible dream. I'm so glad I was wrong!

6. Have you ever written any other works under a pseudonym if not, what would you want your pseudonym to be?

Yes, I have written a series of novels for teenagers under a pseudonym. I'll now insert a secretive smiley of mystery: :-x

7. Do you have a designated writing time or routine, or is it just spontaneous?

I write whenever I can, and when I'm in the full flow of a novel, I'll even try to write when I can't! My best writing time is usually late evening and into the night. I'm a real night person. If only that didn't make mornings such a struggle...

8. Was there a book or an event that inspired you to be a writer?

Hmm, I've probably been inspired to some extent by everything I've ever read! There are a few lovely friends who inspire me to keep writing, and to write the kinds of books I do, and their help and support is invaluable to me. You'll see the names of some of them on the acknowledgment pages of my books!

9. Which character in your books are you most like?

I'm probably most like Jo from Split by a Kiss, in that I have nerdish tendencies, a love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and hair with a mind of its own.

10. If you were to write another novel, what do you think it would be about? 

It would almost certainly have something to do with friendships and relationships in teenage years - there are so many fascinating issues I still want to explore!

11. If YOU could switch bodies with anybody, who would it be?

Well, I get to do this every day, really, and call it 'writing'! I'm not sure whether I'd want to switch places with anyone in real life, though. (If you'd asked me this when I was a teenager, I think my answer might have been different...)

Thank you very much for interviewing me Isme!