NICOLE'S REVIEW: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Taking
Author: Kimberly Derting
Format Acquired: eARC

Publication Date: April 29 2014

Publishing House: HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780062293602
Source of Copy: Edelweiss

Summary:

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas 'n' Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of deja vu, she heads home only to discover five years have passed... and yet she hasn't aged a day.

Everything about Kyra's old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn't sure how to move forward unless she uncover the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin's annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they wonder if Kyra's father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others who have been taken... and returned Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Books with aliens are few and far between (those that actually manage to pique my interest) and decent alien books that I've read? I could count them on one hand. 

The Taking has promise - it has an interesting plot that involves memory gaps and alien abduction and human experimentation plus mention of super powers. Cool, right? It all went downhill when the romance was added and I had to resist banging my head up against the wall or throwing my iPad at someone. 

The last memory she had was of the fight with her father, stepping out of the car after a temper tantrum and the light. The bright light. Then nothing. Kyra lost five years of her life to who knows what and coming home and finding out that everything's changed? Not the easiest thing to deal with. Her father and mother are separated, Austin's gone off with her best friend and Tyler, Austin's younger brother, is pretty hot and she's got the tingles for him. But when strange things start to happen, Kyra has no choice but to give her father's crazy theory about alien abduction some credit. Especially when strange people appear on her doorstop overly interested by her five year disappearance.

See, the plot's not that bad. It just got overshadowed by the romance. Meaning to say that the story was focused more on the romance with a little alien stuff thrown in. Maybe a little grand theft auto and some blood. But let's talk about the romance since it is, obviously, my biggest peeve about this book.

You see, before Kyra was abducted, there was Austin. Austin was her childhood best friend, he's hot, he's handsome, he's everything Kyra wants and she is determined to never be separated from him. Who cares about all those wonderful opportunities at the big league universities if she's got this hot boyfriend right? Oh Kyra, you fool. That's the argument Kyra and her dad were having before she got abducted. So we've established that Austin is perfect, okay? Moving on.

When Kyra gets back after five years, Austin went off with her best friend to university and it was pretty obvious how heartbroken and angry she was. I was irritated because Austin seemed like a good guy and then, after five years, he's turned into this massive jerk? Apologizing to Kyra for his own sake? I don't know. I mean a lot can change in five years but from the very start Austin was never a jerk, so why now? It just didn't sit so well with me.

Now, as mentioned Austin has a little brother named Tyler. He was twelve when Kyra got taken but now he's seventeen and apparently he's also fair game. He's been in love with Kyra since forever too. What is so great about Kyra? I don't get it. The Taking is all about Kyra and her relationship with this guy. Things moved too fast and she easily dismissed her problems because some boy drew her stuff using chalk on pavement. He's hot, looks like Austin, so why not right?

Aside from too much romance, I didn't like how everything was so easy for Kyra. Chased by bad guys? Not to worry some, random alien guy who's been tracking you for months steps in to save the day. Not to mention the fact that she has powers that the other hybrids don't which makes her even more special.

Kyra is not special. She's just a lovelorn teenager who's more obsessed with her boyfriend than she is with her safety and the safety of those she loves. I'm sorry, this book is a disappointment. Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux series sees more alien action than this. 

Rating:

                     

[Blog Tour] NICOLE'S REVIEW: The Hunt by Stacey Kade

Title: The Hunt
Author: Stacey Kade
Format Acquired: eARC

Publication Date: April 22 2014

Publishing House: Disney Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423153290
Source of Copy: NetGalley

Summary:

Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created er. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what- she is and still wants to be part of her life.  

But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger.

Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently. To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allis. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

My review for the first book, The Rules, is right over here.

The Hunt basically starts off where The Rules left - Ariane and Zane on the run, hiding from GTX. Problem is, GTX isn't the only corporation out to get them. There are 2 more out there who would love nothing more but to get their hands on Ariane - because human experimentation is a thing and there's even a government sanctioned competition between the three to figure out who's creation is the best. Ariane's just realizing that she never really had a shot at a normal life but if she wants out from the running and the hiding, she's going to have to find a way to get in touch with the other experiments and find a way to put a stop to the whole mess.

With the recent influx of alien books, it's hard to find one that really catches your eye. (same thing dystopian novels but that's another thing) The Hunt isn't amazing but it's a good, solid, entertaining book. It's one of those books I give a 3.5 but still follow the whole series till the very end. 

Ariane's character arc was well written - she's stronger now in the second book. She's more in control of her powers and not as afraid or meek as she was in the first. She's more take-charge here and I like her this way. But at the same time, there's a certain vulnerability to her. She's never really had anyone she could trust but now she has Zane and being on the run doesn't do things for his safety so she's torn between ditching him or dragging him along. It's not easy but that's what happens when you care about people.

Zane, on the other hand, isn't just some macho jock anymore. Now that he's finally come to really care for Ariane, we see him sometimes wondering if he's good enough. He doesn't judge her for being half-alien and actually wonders if he's even worthy of Ariane. Such a cute boy. And the fact that he's willing to fight for what they have? Plus points to you. Even if he might have botched a few things up near the end. He's a good boy and I might have wanted to reach into the book and smoosh his face then maybe smoosh him and Ariane together because they deserve a happy ending.

Speaking of endings, that cliffhanger is killer. I was lucky enough to get an eARC of this book but I don't think it's possible to wait till next year (I think) for the next. I had to constantly distract myself with other shiny things so as NOT to think about the way this ended. Cliffhanger. Ugh. I want to cry. All in all, if you're in the mood for something extraterrestrial pick up The Rules then get this baby too.

The cover's a little shady. I mean I understand it but that doesn't mean it's not shady.

Rating:

     

                        

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Split Second by Kasie West

Title: Split Second
Author: Kasie West
Format Acquired: ARC

Publication Date: February 11 2014

Publishing House: HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780062117380
Source of Copy: Requested from publisher

Summary:

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can't believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She's always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time too...but not without a price.

When Addie's dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He's a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie's memories...once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don't want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school - but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot...and a future that could change everything.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads;)

Review:

Split Second is the sequel to Pivot Point which I reviewed here. It's actually better if you read that first.

With the way things ended in the first book, it's not surprising that Addie wants a break from it all by spending time away from the Compound with her dad who has situated himself neatly in the Norm world.

It's not all rest and relaxation in the Norm world. Not when Addie meets Trevor - who is so familiar to her but she can't tell where she's seen him before. It also doesn't help that Addie's dad is lying to her and that Laila may have just dropped a bomb on her. You know, about Addie writing about events in a past search and having Laila erase it and asking her to restore it at another date. That bomb. Also don't forget to add to that the meddling Compound agents who have their eye set on Addie and have suspicions of her loyalty to her people.

And that my friends, is where I have to raise an eyebrow. Or two. Because I know the people who run the Compound are crazy paranoid creeps and all but seriously? I'm not going to go into detail to avoid spoilers but the amount of effort they put into stalking each and every person who've left the Compound is totally unbelievable. I get secret societies are crazy and you know, secret, but actually concocting elaborate schemes to determine a person's loyalty? Hah. I don't get why anyone would expend resources and man-power and time to do that. Crazy.

The book also alternates between Laila and Addie's point of views and I did like how their voices were easily distinguishable - Laila is more brash, more flirty while Addie is more timid and a worrier and an all around nice girl. The one problem with alternating POVs is that I feel like I didn't get to spend enough time with both characters which is why Laila's relationship with Connor felt a little....rushed. Eh.

How is this as a sequel to Pivot Point? It's okay, it certainly gives readers a view into how restrictive the Compound is and Addie and Laila have certainly gone through some character growth which is good. I'm just curious though, is this the end of the series? Because there were a lot of things left unresolved like Laila's family and Addie's mom and believe or not I'm kind of curious about what's in store for Duke.

Also I just want to say that Kasie West writes the cutest, fluffiest most adorable contemporary novels ever. Check out her The Distance Between Us (July 2013) which Michelle reviewed HERE and On the Fence (July 2014). Too cute. I cry.

Rating:

                          

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

Title: Through the Zombie Glass
Author: Gena Showalter
Format Acquired: Hardcover 

Publication Date: September 24 2013

Publishing House: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210770
Source of Copy: FullyBooked

Summary:

Alice Bell has lost so much. Family. Friends, A home. She thought she had nothing else to give. She was wrong.

After a new zombie attack, strange things begin to happen to her. Mirrors come to life, and whispers of the dead assault her ears. But the worst? A terrible darkness blooms inside her, urging her to do very wicked things.

She's never needed her team of zombie slayers more, but ultra bad-boy Cole Holland, the leader and her boyfriend, suddenly withdraws from her...from everyone. Now with her best friend, Kat, at her side, Ali must kill the zombies, uncover Cole's secret and learn to fight the darkness.

But the clock is ticking...and if she fails at a single task, they're all doomed.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Through the Zombie Glass is the second book in the series. A review for the first book can be found here.

After the events of the first book, Cole and Ali are ready to conquer the world, one zombie at a time. That is until Cole looks into Ali's eyes and sees something he's not particularly happy about. Strange things are happening to Alice, and Cole's determination to drive a wedge between them isn't helping. The introduction of new hunters to their group only adds fuel to the fire - it doesn't really help that one of them is Cole's ex.

Really, should I be surprised that another of Cole's exes pops out in the second book? Why can't they, for once, just focus on killing zombies? And how is possible that each and every single one of the hunters are inhumanly beautiful, ripped and hot? What. And why does it always have to be Cole who's the target of every female's fantasy? He's kind of a jerk albeit an incredibly hot one but still. 

I wasn't a super fan of Cole in the second book, I mean up and running the moment another guy comes into the picture instead of staying put and fighting for Ali? Ha. No thanks, Ali definitely doesn't need a guy like you Cole. Go home. But alas, the heart wants what the heart wants and all my hopes and dreams of Ali making Cole suffer were for naught.

Well of course, our dear Alice pines for Cole, and while I was irked about all the whining, she at least didn't act all wimpy and hide herself in some deep, dark cave drawing circles on the cold dirt floor and crying day in, day out. She's a fighter and she knows she's got some issues to deal with other than her broken heart. So she mans up and plows through those issues like the zombie slayer that she is.

Things get a little more interesting for Ali in the second book, strange things are happening to the zombies and who is that weird zombie-like version of herself flitting around? And why does she crave human flesh? Then there's Anima acting up again and they want Alice because they think she's got the ability to cure diseases in her blood. 

So aside from dealing with her agony over Cole, Alice has to deal with her reflections coming to life, the dark urge to take a bite out of her friends and her impending death. Boy, does Alice have things easy. The zombies she has to fight are kind of a given so...yeah.

Overall an entertaining read despite my urges to chuck the book at the nearest wall because Cole is a douche. But yes, I'm definitely buying the next book despite its steep price. And if you're into zombies and are not a fan of retellings you might want to check this out because despite the title, it's not exactly a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. 

Rating:

        

                       

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland

Title: Vengeance Bound
Author: Justina Ireland
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: April 2 2013

Publishing House: Simon & Schuster

ISBN: 9781442444621
Source of Copy: Fully Booked

Summary:

Revenge is not always sweet.

Amelie Ainsworth had no choice. She prayed for help. The Furies were the ones to answer her call.

She owes Them her life.

But They are too powerful. Amelie can no longer justify giving in to Their dark urges.

Can she ever be normal with Them in her head?

Starting fresh at yet another school, Amelie meets new people. Good people like Niko who could offer her something more than vengeance.

But They are not finished with Amelie and They do no handle rejection well.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

I should have known to be wary of  book that's being touted as "The Goddess Test meets Dexter". I never really hit it off with the Goddess Test but I decided that that shouldn't be reason for me to shy away from this book.

When Amelie cries out for vengeance, she never really expected an answer. Especially not from the mythical Greek Furies with their bloodlust and thirst for revenge. A number of kills later and her stint at a mental facility, Amelie finds herself wondering if she's truly capable of controlling the Furies or will she soon crumble to their needs of death and destruction one human soul at a time.

One thing I was really looking forward to was the prospect of blood and gore. I mean sharing your mind and being a conduit for the Furies has got to be an interesting experience despite the little mishaps and all that. But despite the promising concept and the infusion of Greek mythology I found this book sadly lacking.

Amelie or Cory as she's called has been through a lot, crazy men locking her in a basement, loony doctors and a crazy friend who's way too clingy and stalkerish. I mean I think Amelie would be an interesting character if only I could connect with her. Which I couldn't. The story lacked characterization which didn't please me at all. The secondary characters were like stiff props meant to fill a certain role; the mean girl, the pothead friend, the crazy best friend and so on. They never felt real to me.

As for the romance...well Amelie's infatuated with Niko from the get-go and their romance is fast paced and instant. I would've liked to see a little more romance or passion and some sparks or maybe fireworks but I just couldn't feel a thing. I mean sure, Niko's a good boy, a little worse for wear but a good boy. Aside from that? Nothing. 

I would have liked more action, more vengeance and a whole lot more blood. And maybe a better resolution to the story because that ending felt a little bit too abrupt. 

Now if you're a fan of Greek myth and you like your stories jam packed with ancient lore and whatnot, this one isn't for you. But if you're looking for a fast paced read that's a little violent and involves the Greek Furies then yes, you could always pick this one up.

Rating:

      

                        

NICOLE'S REVIEW: The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Madness Underneath
Author: Maureen Johnson
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: February 26 2013

Publishing House: Putnam Juvenile

ISBN: 9780399256615
Source of Copy: Fully Booked

Summary:

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Deveaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends.

But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades - the city's secret ghost-fighting police - are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it's too late.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

After suffering the aftermath of her ghostly encounter in the first book, Rory's back at home seeing a therapist and watching as her mom and dad tip toe carefully around her. But is that really what Rory wants? Even she doesn't know. So when her therapist suggests she head back to London, Rory agrees at the chance to get back to school, her friends and maybe, hopefully her life.

Truthfully, I wasn't that much a fan of the first book and I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to pick this one up. I'm glad I did though because I found myself actually liking Rory, she's spunky, funny and a whole lot lost. I like her character better in the second book; she's not as annoying.

Rory gets into a little trouble in this book, what with her new powers  - mainly being a human terminus - and the odd influx of ghosts around the city plus the increase in strange and sudden deaths. She's betting that something big is going on and she has to find a way to convince Stephen and his secret ghost fighting squad to believe her. 

What I did find lacking was Rory's lack of interaction with her friends. I mean yeah I get that she just dropped in in the middle of a school year but shouldn't there have been at least some meaningful interaction? I was never a fan of Rory and Jeremy's relationship and I still am not. But there are some interesting developments in this book that I was hoping for but never really expected would happen and this makes me a very, very happy girl. And as much as I'd like to give you guys hints and stuff, I won't because that would spoil the whole surprise.

In the second installment of the Shades of London series, Rory gets into more shenanigans, gets kicked out of school, fights a few ghosts and loses one person she holds dear. That's not all of it though, she finds herself ensconced within a strange cult of people who see ghosts like her and has to find a way to stop them and their dastardly deeds because they're clearly crazy and someone's got to do something about it.

Do I suggest you pick this one up? Yes, yes and yes. It's a totally fun read and is sure to entertain. 

Rating:

     

                          

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Rush by Eve Silver

Title: Rush
Author: Eve Silver
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: June 11 2013

Publishing House: Katherine Tegen Books

ISBN: 9780062192134
Source of Copy: Fully Booked

Summary:

Miki Jones's carefully controlled life spirals into chaos after she's run down in the street, left broken and bloody. She wakes up fully healed in a place called the lobby - pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game in which she and a team of other teens are sent on mission to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures.

There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Every moment of the game is kill or be killed, and Miki has only the questionable guidance of Jackson Tate, the team's alluring and secretive leader. He evades her questions, hold himself aloof from the others, and claims it's every player for himself. But when he puts himself at risk to watch Miki's back, he leaves her both frustrated and fascinated. Jackson says the game isn't really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival. And the survival o every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn't. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Rush is strange mix of time travel, aliens, romance, teen angst and insta-love with some action - the killing people kind - on the side.

When Miki gets run down on the street, she finds herself waking up in another dimension. She has unwittingly become part of this group of people who save the world in secret by killing aliens called the Drau. While she'd like to think of it as a game, it's not. Not unless you're into games where when you die mid-game, you die in real life. No respawn, no second wind.

I''ll admit to being a gamer and I've been through a few RPGs. Diablo3 being the last one I played. So when I read the premise for this game I was like "Hey this is pretty cool, it's kind of like that Hardcore mode in Diablo3". In case you guys are unfamiliar with it, it's this mode in the game where you basically have to run through the acts without dying because if you do die, well, you stay dead and you can't ever play that character again. Something like that. So obviously I was excited but when I finally got to read the book? I just wanted to curl up in a corner and cry.

Miki is a decent character, she's nothing really special but she managed to not get on my nerves. That is until she gets into a fight with her best friend Chloe because Chloe called dibs on a guy, and that guy is showing interest in Miki. Are you kidding me? If I were in Miki's shoes I'd toss Chloe to the side because you don't need friends who act like little brats. But Miki does the exact opposite, she wants to get back into Chloe's good graces and grovels. I was actually imagining doing a number of violent things to both girls because of their idiocy. 

Rush also features a sort-of love triangle. Jackson and Miki and Luke - Miki's friend who is also part of the team she gets dropped into. Jackson is like your typical YA bad boy love interest. He runs hot and cold, he's caring one minute and the next he's cold and frigid and tells you to shove off. Obviously Miki is drawn to him because aside from being their team leader, he's got secrets and that adds depth to his character. Right. Luke on the other hand is like Jackson's opposite but that's all I have to say on him. I'm not a fan of either boy. Can I also mention that there's a serious case of insta love? This is crazy.

Another thing I didn't like about Rush was the plot and the world building. I mean it's original, but the execution was just...very, very confusing. The info-dumps weren't particularly helpful too. And as I said, this book is a mix of well...aliens, time travel and some other things that make for a very puzzling read. 

I won't deny that Rush has a very interesting and highly original plot and the action scenes were okay to read but I guess it's just not for me. If you're into aliens and books that have a video game feel to it and killing stuff you could always give this one a try. 

Rating:

 

                         

[BLOG TOUR] The Twins on "Thursday": When The World Was Flat (and we were in love) by Ingrid Jonach + Guest Post + Giveaway

"The Twins on Thursday" is reserved for the Twins' joint reviews. It is a special feature of our blog that discusses books that we either both like, dislike, or have mixed feelings about. This is also the day where we post reviews for books (and ARCs/Galleys) that have been sent to us by authors/galley sites/publishing houses. And because we don't believe much in uniformity, we'll be trying to mix things up a bit by adding random stuff in relation to our review (well, mostly for books we purchased anyway).

Title: When The World Was Flat (and we were in love)
Author: Ingrid Jonach
Format Acquired: ARC

Publication Date: 3 September 2013 in the US and Canada, and 5 September 2013 in the UK, as well as worldwide as ebook and audio

Publishing House: Strange Chemistry

ISBN: 9781908844576
Source of Copy: Requested from publisher

Summary:

When sixteen-year-old Lillie Hart meets the gorgeous and mysterious Tom Windsor-Smith for the first time, it's like fireworks - for her, anyway. Tom looks as if he would be more interested in watching paint dry; as if he is bored by her and her small Nebraskan town in general.

But as Lillie begins to break down the walls of his seemingly impenetrable exterior, she starts to suspect that he holds the answers to her reoccuring nightmares and to the impossible memories which keep bubbling to the surface of her mind - memories of the two of them, together and in love.

When she at last learns the truth about their connection, Lillie discovers that Tom has been hiding an earth-shattering secret; a secret that is bigger - and much more terrifying and beautiful - than the both of them. She also discovers that once you finally understand that the world is round, there is no way to make it flat again.

(Image, summary and information courtesy of Goodreads and from the author herself)

Review:

When Lillie sees Tom, she somehow knows that there's more to him, gorgeousness aside, that she just can't put a finger to. Because when you dream of having a baby with the new transferee, you know that's kind of messed up. But maybe it isn't, because while Tom will reel Lillie in only to push her away later, there is something more than he's letting on. In fact, Tom's secret will definitely change Lillie's perspective on the importance of each choice and decision she's ever made.

Lillie's not a very interesting character and her progression from decent, slightly artistic good girl into this love struck, hormonal and slightly whiny teenager was discomfiting. We didn't get a feel for Tom until the last few pages of the book, because he was just so weird what with all the brooding that he does. We thought that there were too many characters, so the actual story progressed really slow. There's all the drama with Sylv, Lillie's best friend, and a mini side story with another best friend, Jo, and they do kind of detract the reader from Lillie's story. 

The romance is actually both insta-love and not insta-love, and regrettably, we couldn't really elaborate more on that fact without giving much of the story away. While initially hard to swallow at first that these two protagonists were making moony eyes at each other almost all throughout the book, as it turns out, there is a logical explanation for the kind of crazy Tom-obsessed dreams Lillie is having.

The explanations regarding the parallel universes were a bit confusing at times, but it did make the book redeem itself. Yes, there are parallel universes, which made us giddy when that part came out. We love how Jonach has made some pretty interesting answers regarding deja vu, and other seemingly "paranormal" phenomena. But at the same time, the last few chapters were an info dump, a confusing one at that. And while a lot of questions were answered, a lot more were left unresolved.

While this would really be more fitting for hopeless romantics who are diehard believers in the transcendence of love, we would actually recommend this one more for parallel universe enthusiasts. 

Rating:

Guest Post: Top 5 Book Boyfriends

1. Tom Windsor-Smith from When the World was Flat (and we were in love) by me!

I think it would have been difficult to write a romance novel about a character I was not in love with myself.

Tom is good looking (tick!), ridiculously wealthy (tick!), and a snappy dresser (tick!). Moving past the superficial stuff, we find a boy who is hiding heartbreak behind a cool exterior. He is completely motivated by love – and I find that extremely attractive!

2. Fitzwilliam Darcy (Mr. Darcy) from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. 

Mr. Darcy was actually the inspiration for Tom, so, of course, I absolutely adore him. He is such a pig at the beginning of the book, but I love his journey from snobbery to smitten to soulmate with Elizabeth Bennet.

His failed marriage proposal is heartbreaking, but necessary as he still has a lot to learn about himself before he can marry Elizabeth. I am not sure if I could have held out though if I were Lizzie. I would have said yes before he had even finished telling me how ‘ardently’ he admired and loved me.

3. Jesse Tuck from Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit. 

I try not to think too much about Jesse being 104 years old and the object of his affection, Winnie Foster, being only 10.

I adore Jesse for his youthful exuberance and head over heels affection for Winnie. Like his life, his love for her is everlasting and he asks her to also drink from the fountain when he is forced to leave Treegap. But (SPOILER ALERT!), when he returns many years later, he finds her grave and evidence that she lived a long and fulfilling life, leaving him alone in his eternity. Sob! I would have drunk from that fountain in a heartbeat for Jesse!

4. Louis de Pointe du Lac from Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice. 

There is something endearing about the perpetually haunted Louis that I love in Interview with a Vampire. He is constantly thwarted in his attempts to retain his humanity by the selfish Lestat, who I just wish would die already!

Oh – and Brad Pitt in the movie adaptation… Need I say more?

5. Theodore Laurence (Laurie) from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. 

Laurie is an extremely lonely character in Little Women. He embeds himself in the March family through his friendship with Jo and proposes to two of the March girls, finally marrying Amy.

It did disappoint me when he lost his way somewhat before marrying Amy, but he was just so heartbroken by Jo. Darnit Jo! I will still never forgive you for not marrying him!

It breaks my heart when he says to her:

There’ll come a time when you will care for somebody, and you’ll love him tremendously, and live and die for him. I know you will. It’s your way, and I shall have to stand by and see it.

I also adore Christian Bale as Laurie, opposite Winona Ryder as Jo.

Enter below for your chance to win one of two awesome prize packages as part of the Around the World in 80 Days Blog Tour for When the World was Flat (and we were in love) by Ingrid Jonach. 

There will be two winners worldwide. Each prize package includes:

·      a signed copy of When the World was Flat (and we were in love)

·      a pair of silver plated key-shaped earrings in a When the World was Flat (and we were in love) gift box

·      a When the World was Flat (and we were in love) bookmark.

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The competition will run until 21 October 2013 and the winners will be announced on this page and via www.ingridjonach.com