The Elite by Kiera Cass - Book Review

So I've been ill, as I babbled about in this post. But today, as I was curled up under my duvet I heard the postman come and then the unforgettable sound of a book hitting the mat.

Gathering my sheets for warmth I padded downstairs in a sickly manner to find that it was the second book in Kiera Cass' trilogy. I enveloped it into my bundle of warmth and trudged back upstairs to bed.

About two hours after I started reading it I found myself ( albeit still awake, surprisingly) to have finished the book, cover to cover.

This series is so perfect, I adore all of the characters in every way. Possibly a little less now than I did in the first book, because all I want is for America and Maxon to just bloody get together and they never do.

oops, spoiler! 

But in all seriousness, if you haven't read it. Go read it. For my sake, if anything. I genuinely enjoyed it so much that I dragged my sorry butt to my computer to write this review before my excitement faded, and to tell the world that I loved this book.

In all my stuffy and snotty glory I don't really feel like analysing this book from a literary or, in fact, intelligent angle. I just want to say that I adored the whole thing from start to finish. It had me squeaking outloud from excitement (except it was more of a wheeze), and awwing and telling Maxon off out loud. It was just me, in bed, with my cat and my teddy, wanting nothing more than a royal wedding between America and Maxon, realising that this book was clearly not long enough and that there must be a third and just asdsgkfjsdfhs

But in all seriousness, it is a fabulous book that will keep you reading for hours, no matter your physical (or mental) health.

I also adore Kiera Cass' writing style, I love her humour and her wit, and how she called me a sassy reader in her Acknowledgments.

Lastly, I kind of wanted her to leave the palace before Maxon says she can stay. I would have loved a dramatic and heartfelt reunion, but it's not like America is very good at 'heartfelt'.

Lots of love, from my deathbed
Sarah
xxxx

Dilemmas, Dilemmas.

So recently, I caught a bug and found myself predictably bedbound and sickly. Over the past few days stuck in the comfy confines on my bed, I have been doing one of two things; Sleeping and reading (and also complaining. A lot.)

I have read a total of four books in a few days, and now that the time has come to try and review them I don't even know where to begin. Part of me wants to start with my most recent read, The Elite by Kiera Cass. And that is purely because I read it today in about two hours and it genuinely made my entire day and I'm just so darned excited about it. However, less so excited about the release date of the next book. 2014, really? And so far into 2014 too?!

I just want to be a princess and wear pretty dresses and have maids who love me and climb trees and hide in little secret rooms.



So yeah, back to the point. I don't know whether to start at the beginning or at the end, and that in itself is causing me to procrastinate and not want to start at all.

Keep your eyes peeled for what I choose to do! I have no idea, I think I need to go back to bed.

Words Once Spoken by Carly Drake - Book Review

Words once spoken is the story of a young girl, who differs greatly from those her age. She prefers the great outdoors and nature (and eating flowers?) to normal formal dinners and long dresses. As always, she has a love interest that she is immediately and strangely 'drawn' to. It is a fast-paced and fun story of a teenage girl figuring out who she really is and where she belongs.

As much as I enjoyed this book I had a few problems. Towards the beginning it felt very Mortal Instruments-ey. What with reference to the name Wayland, then sharing the Vamp/Wolf / Fey story line. There was also a 'seelie' court, similar to in the mortal instruments and various other things that raised my eyebrows. Since Twilight, these kind of story lines aren't particularly hard to come by, and it is the differences that make them stand out and I felt this lacked anything really different from any of the other books of the same genre.

I did however find myself getting really into the story about half way through, even if some of what were supposed to be (I'm guessing) major plot twists, were pretty obvious and easy to guess. Even for me, and predicting what's going to happen really isn't my forte.

However, what's important is that when I finished the last page the first thing I thought was: 'Is there going to be a sequel? When is it going to be out?!' Ahem, wink wink.

I ended up genuinely loving the relationship between her and Liam, from when he followed her into the forest onwards. It became a lot more genuine, and headed further away from the cliche, predictable relationship we saw at the beginning and so often see in these kind of books. I also liked how it ended, not that I can ruin it for you all. But should you decide to read it (which you should), just wait for the ending; it makes the whole book worthwhile I swear!

I barely put this book down from start to finish (about two/ three hours) and would thoroughly recommend it for YA readers who enjoy the fantasy/supernatural side! Even if I did feel it seemed slightly childish at times, as a good friend of mine has kindly pointed out in the past; 'Childish doesn't necessarily mean bad'

And he was right! Happy reading!

Publish Date: 1st October

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review by Harlequin Australia

The Selection by Kiera Cass - Book Review

Picture this;
I have pretty much a whole day of frees at school, but I stay so that I can spend time in the library reading books that I need to review soon (dedication, I know). I finally finish the book I am struggling through, and I set off home early. I get home, and what is waiting for me but yet another book. But not any book, a book I have been particularly excited about. I rip through the packaging and sit straight down on my sofa to read the book and four hours later I was finished; and ordering the next one.

The Selection is a dystopian novel, set in a futuristic version of America - otherwise known as Illea. This new America is led by a monarchy, and when the prince is of age all girls between sixteen and twenty one are invited to enter a 'lottery' to be Selected. Those thirty five that are selected are whisked away to the palace and also whisked up the social standing order to compete against one another for the Prince and the crown. America (yes, that's her name. Confusing, but you get over it) is the protagonist, who is extremely well developed and easily likeable.

I absolutely adored every aspect of the book and I often found myself making loud, high pitched noises of excitement when the novel took a good turn. I felt like America was a genuine protagonist, and I enjoyed how she wasn't the typical girl. I was sceptical about reading a book entirely based around a royal Bachelor kind of a thing, but it was refeshing to see that America was not shallow and did not actually want to be a princess.

I love how Cass takes time to develop the relationship between America and the Prince, and make it humorous and believable. The kind of fictional relationship that readers like me invest our feelings into (cough cough Jace and Clary cough cough).

This book is fast paced enough to grab your attention and keep it from start to finish, you will not want to put it down. I know for a fact if I had made the mistake to start it before I went to bed, I would have been up until to early hours of the morning reading it.

To be blunt; Just read it. You're pretty much guaranteed to like it, it's beautiful in every sense of the word.

--- spoiler free review over. SPOILER ALERT. ---

What is wrong with America? Why can't she just tell Maxon that they belong together. Take a page from Taylor Swift's book, Singer. Sing 'You belong with me'.  JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY. Put me out of my misery.

The bet at breakfast asdfghjkl. I cant handle how cute they are, and when he kisses her and she freaks out. ah, young love. Everything about their relationship is just too much for my soft little heart to handle. They need to get together, and I need a relationship like that. Someone find me a Maxon. Please. I will pay you.

Also, I feel like Aspen should have died in the rebel attack. I hear this is a widespread view, which is awkward. I think that would have been a perfect time for him to just leave. We don't need him, he's a prick and we don't like him. If you ask me, America should have ratted him out to Maxon, and seen what happened. That would have been perfect. I want to see him punished for being such a prick, and Maxon is so perfect, why did Aspen have to come and ruin it with his sudden Two-ness.

So all in all they just need to get together already. I've ordered the next book, but I have to wait three to eight business days. Oh the pain. I really want to look online and spoil it, because surely she's the Princess?
right? RIGHT?!

Though I tell you now, if she doesn't end up being the princess and she ends up with shitty little Aspen, Kiera Cass will have me and my tiny fists of fury to answer to.

So, I've got a problem with 50 Shades..

Though to be honest, who doesn't?

Upon reading more modern 'romance' novels, that have been published since Fifty Shades of Grey became popular, I have noticed an ongoing trend. A trend that I, quite frankly, am not comfortable with.

Why is everything so sexual now? and why are all these borderline pornographic novels being labelled as 'Romance'. Someone needs to send out a memo explaining to authors that romance isn't all about heated and overly-descriptive sex scenes. It is actually, funnily enough, possible to build a romantic relationship in a novel without concentrating on their sex life. And if you do decide to include sex scenes, there's this little thing called 'subtlety'.

Heard of it, E. L. James? No? I didn't think so.

I'm just kidding, I didn't actually particularly mind the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy ( yes, I read them all. Watch me hang my head in shame) it's only the aftermath that is picking at my nerves, quite painfully.

I am not a massive sex-scene fan. I have always known this, so I'm not entirely sure why I read the over-hyped series by E. L. James, but for some weird reason I did.

After the first sex scene I can hand on my heart say I skipped and skimmed the rest from there on. I often found myself wincing at the phrasing used, or just that it seemed to be the same thing repeated over and over again. I kept reading purely because I wanted to find out what happened to Anna.

Sidenote: If you skip the sex scenes, fifty shades of grey actually makes a pretty  good Romance read.

Basically, to sum up  my scrambled thoughts in this post;
- Why are all new romance novels so sexually oriented? Why is no one focusing on beautiful, well developed and tangible character relationships that we can invest our feelings into?!
- I blame Fifty Shades of Grey
- Erotica should be retitled as the 'uncomfortable genre'. Yes, we can be comfortable with our sexuality without reading in-depth and , in my opinion, vulgar accounts of fictional characters' sexual encounters. Which almost always happen to be weird and unrealistic. Butt plugs? really?

And that's how Sarah See's It!
Let me know what you think!

What I'm reading now: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (I know, I know. I'm a bit late jumping on the bandwagon.)

What I've got lined up: The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (and again, a bit slow on the uptake)

Beautiful Illusion by Jacquie Underdown - Book Review

To start off with a tongue in cheek and possibly overly British phrase; this book really wasn't my cup of tea.

It's a romance, and lord knows I love those, with somewhat star-crossed lovers; I love those too. I loved the premise of the book. To sum it up in short, a thirty year old woman called Leah is in a car crash, and when she "wakes up" she is (coincidentally) sharing a hospital room with a charming and somewhat chocolate-obsessed man of a similar age. They date, fall hopelessly in love after spending six months with each other, and are swept up in a whirlwind romance. Then one day Leah really wakes up, to find out it has all been a part of her coma, and that Brennan does not actually exist.

Normally, I would stop here so as not to ruin the ending, but it is pretty much already ruined by the blurb, so it's easy to guess that he does in fact turn out to be real.

When reading the blurb I was excited to read this, it has all the makings to be one of my favourite books. However it never really grabbed me and made me want to read it, nor did I empathise with any of the characters. Trust me when I say I really wanted to like this book, but it didn't work out that way. That's not to say I particularly disliked it, but it's not going to be on the top of my 'to re-read' pile. I'm not the only one who has one of those... right?

There was very little character building, I often felt that I didn't really know what the characters looked like. As a reader, we are given snippets of information but it's difficult to 'picture' any of the characters or really get attached to them. I also felt it somehow managed to be a slow read, but the major events were rushed. I didn't find myself tearing through it, but all the major events were predictable, cliché, and happened too quickly (e.g Leah spilling the secrets of her predictably dark, dramatic past).

However, I am possibly the soppiest reader to ever exist. I may not have completely bought into the ending, I did however thoroughly enjoy it. I am a sucker for a happy endings, and part of me almost wishes there was more of their post-coma relationship shown; I feel like Underdown could definitely make a sequel out of their year long honeymoon, but possibly classify it under Erotica as opposed to Romance if they are going to be 'making love in every country'.
It was adorable and heart-warming, but definitely not a life-altering read of 2013. I would recommend it if you are looking for an easy read that doesn't take much thought or concentration.

Release date: 1st October 2013

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me for review by Harlequin Enterprises Australia

Catching Fire - Trailer review, scenes I'm excited to see

Oh, you haven't seen the new trailer?

Here is how you complete your previously unfulfilled and fangirl free life:

Step 1: Open a new tab 

Step 2: Click here

Step 3: TRY NOT TO CRY FROM JOY/ SHOCK / PURE UNADULTERATED HAPPINESS

So I'm a little behind on the ol' Hunger Games trailer train, I'm a few metaphorical carriages behind everyone else. I feel like everyone just abandoned me at the back of a the train because no one bothered to tell me about this trailer. So I'm telling you. Go watch it. Even if you've already seen it, go watch it again (and again until it is finally November 22nd)

Holy crap. 

Firstly, we can immediately notice the difference in budget, the victors village looks detailed but less victor-y than I envisioned. I kind of saw something a bit brighter and nicer in my head, as it was supposed to be so much  better and more luxurious than living in the normal part of the district and was built when being a victor was something to be proud of (but Katniss just had to go and put her two cents into that one now, didn't she?)

Cut to her and Prim having a sisterly heart-to-heart. Note: Prim's braids are so adorable, I like how they haven't made her character seem to grow up physically, she still looks adorbs.

And we get to see the Capitol! I really hope they take the Harry Potter world one step farther and just build Panem somewhere. You could rent an apartment there and go shopping for Capitol type clothes and go to a pretend filming of one of Ceaser Flickermans shows and get your makeup done like Effie's. I would pay to do that. Just kidding, I would sell my soul to do that.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I think Peeta and Katniss' relationship seems to be closer to the books in this film, I felt like it was slightly underdeveloped and unbelievable in The Hunger games. Whereas even in this trailer you can see that Peeta feels more for her than she does for him.


Cue a scenic shot of Katniss at her lake, and then to her talking to Peeta and then the weird cameras (?). Interesting juxtaposition of what was her life before the game, and what her life is now.

Not to mention this bad boy.

The kiss! I don't know which twilight-style 'team' you guys are on, but I am a Peeta girl. I don't like Gale, he is selfish and reckless and just frustrates me so much!

Peeta is such a constant, he is strong and always stable and there for her. And he was in the games so he understands. He gets her in a way Gale never will just asdfghjkl.

And then we go on to what I'm assuming is Katniss' house in the victors village, when Snowie pays a visit. I can't handle how well they picked the actor for his part, he's so intimidating yet kind of amiable in a strange and unnerving manner.

This is the 'he's going to kill everyone I love if I don't play along' realisation face, I'm pretty sure. I can link this exact seen to a vague memory of the bit in the book because it fits so perfectly. All the while we can hear Mr. Snow-Snows threatening voiceover. This is maybe a smidge too dramatic for my tastes, but hey-ho whatever floats your trailer boat.

Snow finishes his over the top speech with a final "all your loved ones, gone." and it flashes to Peeta! (and then her brother and sister, but whatever the hint is there, she loves Peeta and they just should be together forever OKAY

Effie's little glittery heart is breaking, look at her! She's played beautifully by Elizabeth Banks, kudos to her.

Peeta remains strong, unwavering; Manly. (and maybe a little sexy). See, Katniss and Effie are not doing so well, but Peeta remains strong, you can tell he's thinking "I'm going to get Katniss through even if I die trying"

Which, for the record, is courageous and adorable. Gale, take notes already.

Cut to some dramatic scenes of some funky looking flying machines, and then Hotch looking  sober, and then BOOM. Peeta all suited and booted and hot. This trailer for me, as a fan, is just so damn enjoyable!

Finnick! Introduce me to one person who doesn't adore Finnick and I will eat my socks. Finnick and his bit of rope, I can't handle the feels. I know his adorable bits aren't in the trailer, but just the knowledge of the adorable bits to come and then seeing him in the trailer is just too much for my little heart to handle. I just want to take him in my arms and cuddle him because he's just so attractive yet vulnerable. Perfect combo if you ask me.

Part of me likes the weird yellow similation/laser thing that they used for the training, however I feel they kind of cheapen the whole world as a whole, it's similar to the weird control room projections they had in Film Numero Uno. They're trying a bit too hard to be futuristic; it's quite clearly a bit of a try-hard move from the CGI department.

And THEN, as if they hadn't already spoiled shown us enough, we get to see her dress go up into flames and the different one underneath it. Note: watch Flickerman as she's spinning, his reaction is on point. I absolutely cannot wait to see how they do the pregnancy announcement, it has to be one of my favorite scenes of the whole book and I'm genuinely bouncing in my seat at the thought of getting to see it on screen and relive it again! ugh Peeta you beautiful character.

And then, we also see them in their chariot and they're all on fire again. Possibly to show viewers who have not read the book that they will be competing again, by repeating the scene from The Hunger Games with the costumes and chariots and waving etc.

And then we see Cinna! That has got to be the scene I am most waiting for in this film, when Cinna is taken. I can guarantee that I am going to wail like a baby when they show him being arrested, so they better do it justice! Not like Rue's death in the first film, which I don't think successfully brought anyone to tears. Not even me, and I cried watching Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire when Mad Eye Moody killed a spider with 'adava kedavra'.
AKA I'm a crybaby and if Cinna's exit does not make me cry, I will personally write a strongly worded letter to Francis Lawrence and make him apologise for dishonouring Cinna's memory for the entire fanbase.

We get a small glimpse of the arena, and we can see the partitions of the clock. I feel like I only noticed this because I a) knew they were going to be there and b) was looking for them, so I really hope it isn't obvious for those who haven't read the book, because it's more fun to have in all pan out in the actual film as opposed to the trailer.  I can't wait to see the scene where Katniss is about to swim out to Peeta because he can't swim and then Finnick is all "No, I'll go. I don't want you to risk the baby' (I'm paraphrasing from a very distant memory) and then it's really awkward because there is no baby..

They better not skip the baby out of the plotline or I will throw a tantrum; flailing arms, screaming, and thrown toys included.

To conclude this slightly over-emotional and fangirlish post, I just want to say how completely and utterly ridiculously excited for this film I am. I think I might even go re-read the books now (for the 100th time) just to get in the spirit.

May the odds be ever in your favour!

The Mortal Instruments - Film review & Rant

Warning: If you haven't seen the film or read the book, this post will spoil the hell out of it!

I don't even know where to start. As an avid reader of the entire mortal instruments series, the film has left me at a loss for words, if anyone so much as brings up the film I can't help but let out a wail of disgust and deep upset over the entire thing.

Why isn't Valentine blonde?! This is such a small detail, but since when is Valentine Morgenstern a brunette with braids? It's a damn important small detail, because Jace and Sebastian are blonde. Clary rubs some of  'Sebastian's hair dye off when they kiss. Why couldn't they have just made him bleach his weird ass braids? And why was it insinuated that Hodge came up with the idea to pretend they are brother and sister?

Part of the entire thrill of the books is genuinely believing they are brother and sister, and the director clearly felt the need to dumb it down. I remember part of the reason I went on to read the rest of the series was because I wanted to know how it panned out.

What is this portal weirdness? Madame Dorothea has a portal, not the institute. Not to mention all this crap about training their whole lives to use it. The film cheapened to book to a level in which I found it hard to watch, with the dramatics score and awful pop music.

Don't get me a wrong, I am a lover of Demi Lovato, but in the greenhouse scene? Really? I adore that scene in the book, Jace opens up in a subtle way and shows he's willing to let her in. In the film he just starts spilling all his secrets, and then loud pop music starts to play and it was unbearable for me to watch. And then to top it off the bloody sprinklers go off, really? Seriously?

On the same topic, who ever came up with the dramatic slo-mo falling scene at the vampire hotel should be shot. It was awful, and then they just lay there for a while. It seems like the directors plan was trying to make everything glaringly obvious, when subtlety is the key to Jace and Clary's relationship. Stop cheapening their beautiful and non-obvious relationship, because I love them and you've ruined it.

Who ever decided a complete rewrite of the book needs to be shot because Isabella and Alec do not go to the hotel Dumort, that's the whole point of that event. That Jace went without his Parabatai. I get the feeling that the director couldn't be bothered to read the book, so looked up a synopsis online and therefore massacred our beloved book. The whole ending was just wrong. There was no foresaken, there was no dramatic portal scene (there was a different portal scene but it was unoriginal and not OUR scene), apparently Jocelyn just happened to be in the basement of the institute which is coincidentally where everyone happens to be, and also where there are floods of weird demons invading. This is a whole other issue, because the institute is hallowed ground, they physically cannot be on hallowed ground because they are damned. You can't just invite them in, because that doesn't even make sense.

Magnus Bane was played terribly, I have seen amateur plays that are more believable than his performance. He wasn't witty or charmy, and he didn't have any presence.

I realise that this is a very nit-picky type of review, but as a whole I was generally displeased and not only because it differed from the book, but because it made no sense. And, alright, it was awful. I'll admit it.

I went to see it with a friend who had never been anywhere near the books, and towards the end neither of us had any clue what was going on. Apparently Clary has to drink her dad's blood out of a cup, Jace is fighting Valentine, Isabella has a blowtorch, Hodge can't seem to decide what side he is on, touching a portal with a Steele makes it snow, Valentine has some sword fetish, Clary's wandering around and I just can't handle how wrong the whole thing was. Wrong wrong wrong wrong.

Dear Sony/Harald Zwalt, please try harder next time. Try bringing some book fans on board, or maybe just sticking to the actual storyline. That usually helps.

I sincerely hope you don't bring out a sequel, I don't want you to ruin the other books too.

Lots of love

Sarah
Xoxoxoxoxo