The Colour Of Death by Michael Cordy

No. of pages: 381
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: In a residential neighbourhood of Portland, Oregon, an unknown young woman uncovers a shocking crime scene by inexplicably sensing the evil within its walls. To the police, she is a mystery. She can’t even tell them her own name. They christen her Jane Doe. Suffering terrifying hallucinations, Jane is assigned to Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist struggling with his own demons. Together they must piece together the jigsaw that is Jane’s identity. Then a sequence of brutal killings terrorizes the city and Fox learns Jane is the only cryptic link between the unrelated victims. To solve the murders, Fox must discard his black and white preconceptions, look beyond the spectrum of normal human experience and confront the dark truth of her past…and his own.

Review: When a young woman breaks into a house and releases several trapped girls being held as slaves, she is hailed a hero. Only one problem though, not only does she not remember how she knew the girls were there, but she doesn't even remember her own name. Christened Jane Doe, she is taken to hospital where she is terrified by vivid hallucinations. Moved swifly to a mental facility, she comes under the care of Nathan Fox, a man troubled himself by the murder of his family when he was a child. Together, Jane and Nathan start to unravel not only the mystery of her identity, but also the sudden spate of murders that seem to somehow link back to Jane.

Having heard of Michael Cordy before, but never having read any of his work, I was very interested to read The Colour Of Death. Not only because I love new authors, but because the synopsis sounded so intriguing! I can honestly say, I have never read anything like this story before, the content was completely new, to me anyway. I loved how you slowly found out about all of the fascinating details about Jane and Nathan, and the secrets they both held, and then how it all tied back to the murders that seem so random. I did figure out some of the ending pretty early on, but that didn't ruin any of the enjoyment or suspence for me. A throughly enjoyable read, and a must for fans of thrillers with a science-y twist! I'm not only looking forward to reading the sequel, but also more books by Michael Cordy in the future.

Blood Vines by Erica Spindler

No. of pages: 483
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Alex Owens knows very little about her childhood or who she really is - her only family an absent, emotionally fragile mother. Alex has always felt something was missing and has spent most of her life searching for what that could be. When an infant's remains are unearthed, Alex realises she has a connection to the case. Suddenly long-lost memories start flooding in, leading her back to a small town in California and to dark and terrifying nightmares that haunt her every waking moment. Greeted with silence and suspicion, Alex is determined to get to the heart of a secret no one wants to see uncovered. As violent deaths and a series of pagan rituals terrify the tightly-knit community, Alex is forced to confront the terrible truth about a single night that changed her family's lives for ever...

Review: Alex has always had strange dreams, and coupled with the secrets her mother quite obviously keeps from her, she feels that something is missing in her life, but she has no idea what. But when she's contacted about the death of a baby she has no clue about, she realises the secrets her mother kept are coming back to haunt them...

It's well known that Erica is one of my favourite thriller writers, and this book is no exception to the rule. It was gripping and full of twists from page one, and maybe a tad more dark that some of her other books because it's about the murder of a little baby. I really felt quite suffocated at times during the story, which goes to show how great the writing is. It was great as always to see all of the puzzle pieces falling into place, and there were plenty of surprises, including the ending which I didn't see coming. It's well worth a read if you're looking for a gripping thriller that you can't put down!

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

No. of pages: 368
Rating: 8/10
Series: Lorien Legacies (Book 1)

Synopsis: John Smith is not your average teenager. He regularly moves from small town to small town. He changes his name and identity. He does not put down roots. He cannot tell anyone who or what he really is. If he stops moving those who hunt him will find and kill him. But you can’t run forever. So when he stops in Paradise, Ohio, John decides to try and settle down. To fit in. And for the first time he makes some real friends. People he cares about – and who care about him. Never in John’s short life has there been space for friendship, or even love. But it’s just a matter of time before John’s secret is revealed. He was once one of nine. Three of them have been killed. John is Number Four. He knows that he is next...

Review: John is number 4 of the last of 9 of his race. They can only be killed in order, so when 3 is killed, John knows it's just a matter of time before he's hunted down. But John is sick of running, and is determined to stay in one place and put down some roots, but will staying in just one place make it easier for the hunters to find and kill him?

I was looking forward to this for ages before it was even released, and so I was really pleased that I enjoyed it. It was a little different to what I was expecting, but not by much, and not in a way that diminished my thoughts of it at all. I loved the main characters, and thought they all had great personality and relationships with each other. Bernie Kosar was my absolute favourite character, I'd love to have a dog like that! I think my favourite bit of the story was finding out about John's home planet of Lorien, it was beautifully described. The plot was well paced and realistically filled with tension throughout, and I finished it in just one sitting. I'm really looking forward to the released of the next in the series and cannot wait to see where the story goes from here. Would definitely recommend to sci-fi fans, or to be people who enjoy a good fast paced thriller.

High Stakes by Meg Cabot

No. of pages: 200
Rating: 8/10
Series: Mediator (Book 2)

Synopsis: Meet Susannah Simon: she's a typical teenage girl, who just happens to be a ghost-hunter ...oh, and she's also dead-over-heels for Jesse - the sexiest spook ever! But can this girl get her ghost? In "High Stakes", Suze's new life is looking up - cool friends, pool parties and getting to know Jesse (swoon), but then a desperate spirit asks for her help. Suddenly she's on the trail of a creepy local businessman, who just might be a vampire. Life just got dead complicated. Again.

Review: When a crying ghost appears in her bedroom, Suze is asked to track down and pass on a message to someone. But as Suze gets close to who she thinks is the recipient, she starts to worry that he's not entirely human...

High Stakes is just as good as the first book in the series, and builds upon the story started there. I really enjoyed the evolving relationships in this book, mainly between Suze and Jesse and Suze and her new little brother Doc, who is so adorable! The story is engaging and kept me gripped right until the end, although I did find the ending was kind of repetitive as a similar thing happened at the end of the first book, and that was a little disappointing. Over all, these books are enjoyable for a light, easy read.

Love You To Death by Meg Cabot

No. of pages: 199
Rating: 8/10
Series: Mediator (Book 1)

Synopsis: Meet Susannah Simon: she's a typical teenage girl, who just happens to be a ghost-hunter ...oh, and she's also dead-over-heels for Jesse - the sexiest spook ever! But can this girl get her ghost? In "Love You to Death", Suze arrives in California and has barely unpacked when her mediator skills are put to the test. A vicious spirit in her new school is hell-bent on making her life a complete nightmare, but Suze is more than ready to kick some serious ghost butt if she has to.

Review: Suze has just moved to California, and transferred into a new school there. Her first day is a little different than she imagined though when a nasty spirit decides to try and scare Suze away from the school, but Suze has dealt with ghosts like this before, and isn't afraid to show it who's boss...

This book was mainly about introducing us to the cast of characters, many of which are pretty loveable. I really liked the ghost mediating aspect of it and thought that it was something interesting to read about. I thought Suze's spunky attitude was funny and I liked reading her interaction with Jesse, can't see where that goes in the future! A predictable story, but quite sweet, and an enjoyable quick read.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

No. of pages: 371
Rating: 8/10
Series: The Maze Runner Trilogy (Book 1)

Synopsis: When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he's not alone. He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade - a walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to be there - or what's happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything - even the Grievers, half-machine, half-animal horror that patrols its corridors, to find out.

Review: When Thomas wakes up in the lift, all he knows is that his name is Thomas. He knows nothing else about anything, least of all where he is or how on earth he got there. Then the lift opens, and he finds himself in the Glade, surrounded by other boys who had awakened in the lift. But what they don't know is that time is running short, and Thomas is the key to solving the mystery of the Glade and freeing them all...

Similar in style to that of The Hunger Games, in that it's about children put in peril to fight for their freedom. This one I'd say is more aimed towards the male market, but still very enjoyable for females too. I enjoyed the mystery of the Glade and the maze that surrounds it, and I also thought the language the boys had made up was funny and a nice touch. I also thought the monsters, called Grievers, were actually quite creepy sounding, I certainly wouldn't want to bump in to one, that's for sure! I did find that the plot dragged a little in places, but overall I thought the story was an interesting concept, and I enjoyed reading it. Personally, I did prefer The Hunger Games, but this is definitely a read for fans of that series. I've heard the second in the series is even better, and I can't wait to read it and find out for myself how Thomas' story continues.

Terminal Care by Christopher Stookey

No. of pages: 333
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Phil Pescoe, the 37-year-old emergency physician at Deaconess Hospital in San Francisco, becomes alarmed by a dramatic increase in the number of deaths on the East Annex (the Alzheimer's Ward). The deaths coincide with the initiation of a new drug study on the annex where a team of neurologists have been administering "NAF"—an experimental and highly promising treatment for Alzheimer's disease—to half of the patients on the ward. Mysteriously, the hospital pushes forward with the study even though six patients have died since the start of the trial. Pescoe teams up with Clara Wong—a brilliant internist with a troubled past—to investigate the situation. Their inquiries lead them unwittingly into the cutthroat world of big-business pharmaceuticals, where they are threatened to be swept up and lost before they have the opportunity to discover the truth behind the elaborate cover-up.With the death count mounting, Pescoe and Wong race against time to save the patients on the ward and to stop the drug manufacturer from unleashing a dangerous new drug on the general populace.

Review: Phil Pescoe, an emergency doctor at Deconess Hospital is called in for a code blue, a patient is dying and it's up to Phil to try and save them. The odd thing is though, that the code blue is for the Alzheimer's unit, where the patients are never resuscitated. Phil finds out that they're doing a drug study on the Alzheimer patients, but he seems to be the only person alarmed by the dramatic increase in deaths. That is until he meets Clara Wong, who is also incredibly suspicious, so together they are determined to find out what is really happening in the East Annex.

I love medical thrillers, especially ones such as this, where you get a bit of romance mixed with a gripping storyline. I really liked the characters of Phil and Clara, and thought they were well developed and interesting. The medical trials storyline was something new to me, and it seemed really well researched, with a lot of detail, but with it all explained so a non-medical person could understand easily. That's what I love so much about medical books, as well as a great story, I also enjoy learning about the medical side of things which has always interested me. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Tess Gerritsen's earlier works, it has a very similar feel to it, and is just as great a read. Very hard to believe this is a debut novel! Will definitely be looking out for more by this author in the future.

I was given this book as part of a book tour by Pump Up Your Books in return for my honest opinion.

Presumed Guilty by Tess Gerritsen

No. of pages: 347
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Miranda's ex-lover is found murdered. She had a motive and the opportunity. After being arrested for the crime, Miranda is shocked to learn she's been released on bail - bail posted by someone determined to remain anonymous. Is someone trying to help Miranda? Or is someone trying to manipulate Miranda and draw her into the dark and secret world of a murdered man, where everybody's presumed guilty?

Review: When Miranda comes home to find her ex-lover dead in her bed, stabbed with her knife, she knows there's no way anyone will believe it wasn't her. But when someone posts her bail and all sorts of things start to happen, she realises she has to find out who the killer really is, no matter what the cost will be...

As I've said many times before, Tess Gerritsen's romantic thrillers aren't as good as her medical thrillers, but they are still very good. This particular story was my favourite of her romantic thrillers that I've read so far, it focused more on the thriller aspect than on the romance, and I enjoyed trying to guess who the killer was. I liked the character of Miranda, although very vulnerable, she still managed to be a strong woman who fought hard to prove her innocence. I definitely could see more of the Tess Gerritsen I know and love coming through in this novel, and I'm really looking forward to something new from her.

TimeRiders: Day Of The Predator by Alex Scarrow

No. of pages: 433
Rating: 8/10
Series: TimeRiders (Book 2)

Synopsis: Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912. Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2029. But all three have been given a second chance - to work for an agency that no-one knows exists. Its purpose - to prevent time travel destroying history.

Review: Liam, Maddy and Sal all should have died, but just minutes before death they were taken into a different destiny, one in which they time travel to save the world. Liam goes on a mission to stop the assassination of someone important to the future, but something happens and they all get thrown back to the dinosaur era. As they race against time to get back to the future, they come up against something they never could have imagined...

This was a review book, so I'd not heard anything of this series before I went into reading Day Of The Predator, which is the second in the TimeRiders series. The synopsis was intriguing though, especially the aspect of dinosaurs which I'd never read a book about before. The action starts up from the first page, and just intensifies as the story goes on. I really enjoyed how well the author had researched the dinosaur era, with both the dinosaurs themselves, but also the surroundings in which they lived. The characters were well written, although as Sal and Maddy played a background role in this book we don't get to know them too well, so I hope that changes in future books. I think Becks turned out to be my favourite, I really enjoyed her evolution from pure robot to having more human reactions. I'm definitely going to back and read the first in the series, which I would recommend to people thinking of reading these books as they do refer back to previous storylines. The next in the series The Doomsday Code is out in February and looks awesome, it's going to be about Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest, can't wait!

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

No. of pages: 348
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali.

Review: Elizabeth Gilbert is in her early 30's, married, and trying for a baby when she decides she doesn't want this life anymore. After a messy divorce and a disasterous rebound relationship, she decides to take a year to travel and try to find herself. During her four months in Italy, she learns the pleasure of eating good food; the four months in India, the art of meditation; and in Indonesia, she mixes the two and finds love again.

I had been thinking about reading this book for a while, but when I saw the advert for the movie about to be released, I really wanted to read it. I'm not sure if it was exactly what I was expecting, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I really enjoyed the first section about Italy, she made me wish I were there with her eating that delicious food and enjoying the fantastic sites. The section about India I didn't enjoy so much. There were long sections about meditation and religion, which I found a bit hard to struggle thorough, and also the bits where she ascended to a 'higher plane' I found a bit...stupid to be honest. I do appreciate that these are her experiences, but they just seemed a bit unbelievable to me, perhaps because I'm not religious, I don't know. When she got to Bali, I found myself enjoying it again, it was a lot like the Italy section which I was glad about. I loved the multitude of colourful personalities throughout the book and overall I did enjoy it, even though there were bits I didn't like too. I think it's a book that opinions will divide because it will appeal or not appeal depending on each reader's life experiences. I'm not sure if or who I would recommend it too, but I'm glad that I read it, and I feel that it's given me a different perspective on a few things.

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

No. of pages: 213
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in her isolated community without ever questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters; without ever questioning the strict rules imposed by 'the Prophet' who leads them. But now Kyra has started keeping secrets. She reads books that are forbidden and sneaks away to meet Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself, instead of having a husband chosen for her. Kyra knows that it's only a matter of time before her two secret loves are discovered. And when the Prophet decrees that she is to become the seventh wife of her sixty-year-old uncle, Kyra is forced to make a desperate choice. But saving herself means endangering everyone she's ever cared for. How far should she go for freedom?

Review: Kyra is thirteen, and has grown up in a polygamist sect where she has 3 mothers and 20 siblings. This is the norm on the compound where Kyra lives, but Kyra has secrets. Not only is she in love with a boy she is forbidden to have even noticed, she has also been sneaking off to get books, but any book other than the bible is not allowed. So when the Prophet tells Kyra she has been chosen to be the seventh wife to her 60 year old uncle, she is horrified and refuses. But on the compound, the Prophet's word is law...

This is one of those books that is hard to review, after all how can you say you enjoyed a book about a young girl being forced to marry her old uncle? It is after all, revolting. However, enjoy this book I did, Kyra was a strong and fiesty young woman, just born in to the wrong circumstances and I was drawn into her story immediately. It really opened my eyes to the kind of control that these people are under, how the 'prophet' rules everything. One thing that did make me think for a second was Kyra's dad. You imagine that the men in these places are just perverts who are too greedy to have just one woman, yet Kyra's dad truly loved all of his wives and children, and really did believe this was the only way in to heaven. The sad thing is though, that although this particular story is fiction, there are so many girls out there for who this kind of thing is reality, and it's almost unbelievable. It's a short book at just over 200 pages, but don't let that put you off, there is so much packed in to this story. It's definitely a book I would recommend, although it's not an easy read for those who are sensitive.

Fear The Worst by Linwood Barclay

No. of pages: 471
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: The worst day of Tim Blake's life started out with him making breakfast for his seventeen-year-old daughter Sydney. Syd was staying with him while she worked a summer job and Tim hoped this quality father-daughter time would somehow help her deal with his divorce. When she didn't arrive home at her usual time, he thought she'd probably gone to the mall to hang with her friends. When she didn't answer her phone he began to worry. When she didn't come home at all, he began to panic. And when the people at the motel said they had no Sydney Blake working there, and never had, he began to see his life going into freefall. If she hadn't been working at the motel every day, what had she been doing? Something she couldn't - or wouldn't - tell her own father about?

Review: Tim Blake's 17 year old daughter Sydney is staying with him for the summer, that is until she disappears without a trace. When Tim is told she didn't work at the place he thought she did, he has to wonder if he knew his daughter at all...

This is my personal favourite by this author so far, although I do still think some aspects of his stories are always a little too far fetched, but they are still mostly enjoyable and gripping. Fear The Worst was a little slow to get started, but once it did, it didn't stop until the last page. Tim Blake was a great character, I really liked him and was rooting for him the whole way through, he was very realistic in that he had flaws, but you could see that he really loved his daughter. I do wish the book had gone on for another chapter past the ending, to see how things wrapped up, I think that would have made it a more rounded story. Enjoyable for a quick thriller that keeps you glued to the pages, would recommend to fans of his other novels.

Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda

No. of pages: 371
Rating: 8/10
Series: Billi SanGreal (Book 2)

Synopsis: Billi SanGreal is a Knight Templar and has thrown herself utterly into their brutal regime, shutting herself off from everyone and everything. But when Billi finds herself at the heart of a savage werewolf attack, she knows their target – a young girl – must be rescued at all costs. For this is no ordinary girl. Vasalisa is an avatar with an uncontrollable force within – and it’s not just the werewolves who want her. The Dark Goddess wants to sacrifice Vasalisa and use her powers to unleash unimaginable catastrophes and devastation. Can Billi protect Vasalisa from the ancient goddess – and at the same time stop her from destroying the world?

Review: Billi SanGreal is a member of The Knights Templar, and fights to rid the world of the Unholy. So when Billi saves a young girl from werewolves, she's pleased that she saved a life. But then she finds out that the werewolves will stop at nothing to get Vasalisa, as their Goddess wants her desperately. It falls to Billi to protect Vasalisa, or risk killing all of mankind...

I hadn't heard of this series, or this author when I was sent this book for review, but the fact it was about The Knights Templar piqued my interest, and I was excited to read something new about them. Another thing that caught my attention was the cover. I know they say never to judge a book by its cover, but this is the exception where you absolutely must judge it by its cover! It's gorgeous, and ties in to the book perfectly, it's definitely one of the best covers I've ever seen for a book. The story itself was gripping from the offset, I really enjoyed reading about the chase across Russia, and found everything was so fantastically described that it almost felt like I was running through the freezing snow with Billi myself. I was also really surprised to find how deeply the author had researched, and it clearly shone through during the story, especially when it came to the tales about Baba Yaga. This was a great read, and I will definitely be going back and reading the first book Devil's Kiss, and I really hope there's more to come from Billi SanGreal.

Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

No. of pages: 436
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: A woman wakes to find herself in a graveyard, hurt and bleeding, her memory wiped clean. She doesn't know what she's doing there - or even who she is. She is rescued by a police officer, himself a newcomer to Los Angeles. After days of waiting, she is taken by complete surprise when she is finally identified by Alex Rivers, Hollywood's biggest movie star - and her husband.

Cassie is dazzled and bewildered by the fairytale in which she suddenly finds herself. But everything is not quite right, and there is something dark and disturbing behind this glamorous facade. It is only as her memory gradually returns that her picture perfect life comes crumbling down, and Cassie is faced with choices she never dreamed she would have to make.

Review: When Cassie wakes up cold and alone in a graveyard, she realises that not only does she not know how she got there, but she doesn't even know her own name. Luckily as she stumbles out on to the street, she is found by Will Flying Horse, a LAPD officer, who takes her in until someone recognises her. Then her husband comes forward to claim her, and it's none other than Alex Rivers, the biggest actor in Hollywood. So as Cassie steps into a fairytale life, she can't imagine how she ever came to have a famous husband and a mansion for a home. But then bit by bit, Cassie starts to realise things aren't quite as they seem, and her fantasy life isn't quite the fairytale she thought...

The thing I always enjoy about Picoult's novels is that she loves to tackle hard subjects, but she makes them so human in that there's no black and white, but only people who struggle to make hard choices. I did enjoy the controversial topic in this book, and also thought the choices Cassie made echoed the choices that so many women make every day, and so that made it seem very realistic. I did find the story dragged a bit in the middle, when it was flashing back to when Cassie and Alex first got together, but once I got passed that bit, the rest of the book went at a decent pace. I loved the Native American aspect to the tale, and found it all very interesting learning about the tribal rituals and such. I have to admit Will was my favourite character, he just seemed such a nice and devoted guy and I'm so glad it all ended the way I was hoping all along. All in all, this is well worth a read, and I do recommend it.

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur

No. of pages: 262
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: "I had everything I needed to run a household: a house, food, and a new family. From now on it would just be me and Sammy–the two of us, and no one else."

A tragic accident has turned eleven-year-old Aubrey’s world upside down. Starting a new life all alone, Aubrey has everything she thinks she needs: SpaghettiOs and Sammy, her new pet fish. She cannot talk about what happened to her. Writing letters is the only thing that feels right to Aubrey, even if no one ever reads them.
With the aid of her loving grandmother and new friends, Aubrey learns that she is not alone, and gradually, she finds the words to express feelings that once seemed impossible to describe. The healing powers of friendship, love, and memory help Aubrey take her first steps toward the future.

Review: After a terrible accident, eleven year old Aubrey loses her dad and her younger sister, so when one morning she wakes up and her mum has disappeared, she tries to convince herself she'll be back soon. But she doesn't come back, and so Aubrey tries to fend for herself to protect her mum so she won't get into trouble. Aubrey's gran soon realises something is wrong though, and when she arrives to find Aubrey alone, she decides to take Aubrey back to Vermont. There Aubrey is finally able to come to terms with all that's happened to her.

Straight off the bat, I have to warn that this book is so sad. Aubrey is only eleven, and already has had a massive amount of heartache in her life, and she's trying to pretend it didn't happen as a way to cope. As the book progresses, you follow Aubrey's journey first to acceptance, then past that as she tries to heal and find her place in the world after all that's happened to her and her family. The characters were great, I loved all of the main three - Aubrey, Aubrey's gran and Bridget, the friend she makes in Vermont. They all seemed very realistic, and I could understand how Aubrey wanted to protect her mum more than anything, even after she just abandoned her. I loved the ending, it ended how I hoped it would, and it was really quite touching. Although aimed for a younger YA audience, older kids and adults can definitely still enjoy it, and I would recommend it even though it's so bittersweet.

The Devil's Diaries by Nicholas D. Satan

No. of pages: 159
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Narrating the Devil's random musings on key dates through history, "The Devil's Diaries" reveals Satan's part in such things as the Fall; musical moments at the crossroads; the invention of the tetrapak, making work for idle hands; small print; Faust; decorating hell circle by circle; the joy of getting all the best tunes; and, lawyers. The Dark One reveals his disquiet at the way some of this finest ideas have been hijacked and credited elsewhere; and confesses his frustration that much of his best work goes unappreciated. We also gain extraordinary insights into his private thoughts, and discover that even Satan gets depressed.

Review: A humorous diary style book from the Devil's perspective. Starting from the beginning of time and up to recent years, it covers things such as creating hell, the souls he collects, and starting a family.

First off I must say this is such a pretty book, the pages are gold edged, and they are made to look like old diary pages with pictures and such throughout. Although only a short book, it's very enjoyable, and a really easy read. The writing is witty and made me laugh quite a lot, but this is definitely a book for people with an open sense of humour and not for somebody who is particularly religious or easily offended. Recommended for people who are looking for something that's funny or a bit unusual.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

No. of pages: 340
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

Review: February 12th is like any other day for Samantha Kingston, only she doesn't know that in fact it's her last day. But then she wakes up the next day, and it's February 12th again. As she relives the day she dies seven times, Samantha comes to learn a lot about the person she was, the person she wants to be and the moments she wished she had lived.

I find it hard to believe that this is a debut novel, as it's written so fantastically. I hated Sam at the beginning of the book, she's a complete and utter selfish bitch, treating people like crap just because she's one of the popular girls at school. But as the days go on and Sam's character starts to change, you start to feel sorry for her for all that she's lost, but in a way, you're glad she at least got the chance to relive those last few days, and have the experiences she didn't realise she was missing. I think most people could have some sort of connection to this book, as most people seem to have had a rubbish high school experience, and I know I for one did. I think this is definitely worth a read for anyone who enjoys reading YA, it's an enjoyable read, and really makes you think about what you would do if you had the chance to re-live a day over and over.

The Death And Life Of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

No. of pages: 269
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud tells the haunting story of a young man who narrowly survives a terrible car wreck that kills his little brother. Years later, the brothers’ bond remains so strong that it transcends the normal boundaries separating life and death. Charlie St. Cloud lives in a snug New England fishing village. By day he tends the lawns and monuments of the ancient cemetery where his younger brother, Sam, is buried. Graced with an extraordinary gift after surviving the accident, he can still see, talk, and even play catch with Sam’s spirit. But townsfolk whisper that Charlie has never recovered from his loss.

Into his carefully ordered life comes Tess Carroll, a captivating, adventuresome woman training for a solo sailing trip around the globe. Fate steers her boat into a treacherous storm that blows her back to harbor, to a charged encounter with Charlie, and to a surprise more overwhelming than the violent sea itself. Charlie and Tess discover a beautiful and uncommon connection that leads to a race against time and a desperate choice between death and life, between the past and the future, between holding on and letting go.

Review: When Sam is 12, and Charlie 15, they are in a terrible car accident. Both die at the scene, but miraculously Charlie is brought back to life. But he's not the same Charlie anymore, now Charlie can see Sam's spirit, and he vows never to leave him. That is until he meets Tess, and Charlie realises what living is all about, but can he get past the spirits that haunt him?

This is a lovely book and perfect for a summer read. You'd imagine a book about death would be very depressing, but actually this book is uplifting, and shows more than anything how love affects us in every way. The story moves along at a nice pace, kind of in sync with Charlie's life in the book. I really liked all of the characters, and I especially loved the relationship between Charlie and Sam. My one disappointment with this book was that I guessed the big twist pretty early on in the book, but luckily it didn't ruin the enjoyment for me. I mainly picked this book up because I saw an advert for the movie being released this summer, and I'm so glad I did, it was an enjoyable read and I'm now looking forward to seeing how it adapts to film.

The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

No. of pages: 178
Rating: 8/10
Series: Twilight Saga (Novella)

Synopsis: Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire. All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out. Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as "her". As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagines, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?

Review: Everyone who's read Eclipse knows how it ends for Bree Tanner, but this is the story of the week leading up to that moment. As you can imagine with over 20 violently hungry newborns all in close proximity, it's not an easy environment to be in, and even less so to survive in.

Having loved all the books in this series, I knew I was going to really enjoy something new, but I was surprised at how interesting I found it. Eclipse is my favourite book, so I know the 'Bree moment' very well and have to admit, I've never before thought about what led to that moment from her side, so when I heard this was going to be released, I was excited to have something unconnected to the Cullens, and to have a completely different perspective on vampire newborns. I loved Bree as a character, which I didn't expect to happen at all, and like most other people I also loved Diego and Fred. I did feel really frustrated with the whole Diego ending though, and I really wish that had been different. Hopefully we'll get another novella or two from Diego or Fred's perspective. I do wish that it had been longer, as 178 wasn't long enough, I wanted more the second I had finished. Can't wait for something new to this series, hopefully it won't be too long a wait!

Harvest by Tess Gerritsen

No. of pages: 510
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Dr Abby DiMatteo - a second-year surgical student in Boston Bayside's elite cardiac team - is about to make a decision that will jeopardize her career. A car-crash victim's healthy heart is ready to be harvested, having been cross-matched to a private patient, forty-six year-old Nina Voss. Instead Abby makes sure the transplant goes to a dying seventeen-year-old boy who is also a perfect match. The repercussions leave her plagued with self-doubt. Suddenly a new heart appears, and the transplant is completed - but Abby makes a terrible discovery. The new heart has not come through the right channels. Defying the hospital's demands for silence, Abby begins her own investigation that reveals an intricate and murderous chain of deceptions ...

Review: Abby is a second year surgical intern at Bayside medical center, and is finally getting to where she wants to be in her career. So when a heart becomes available she assumes it will go to the deathly ill 17 year old boy who is crashing multiple times a day and has minimal time left to live. Instead, she's told it'll be going to a 46 year old woman, who is a private patient. Suspicious that she's only getting it because of her money, Abby makes sure the heart gets transplanted to the boy instead. But when another suitable heart becomes immediately available and the woman gets transplanted, Abby has to wonder where it came from, because after all, they couldn't possibly be getting hearts illegally....could they?

Although not one of her best thrillers, I did enjoy this book, especially the heart transplant storyline which was interesting to read about. You figure out within pages of the beginning what the whole storyline will be, but there are a few bits that fit together more as the story goes on. I did find some of the characters hard to connect with, but I immediately fell in love with Yakov, he seemed so damaged, yet he was the character with the most personality and loveability. Abby was a strong, determined young woman, who was willing to do whatever it took to find out what was going on, even at the risk to herself, which I liked. It's always good to read books where there's a strong female lead. As with her other books, Gerritsen draws on her medical knowledge and that makes the books so much more realistic and enjoyable to read. Overall, Harvest is decent, but as it was her first thriller, it's not quite as good as her other books, such as her Rizzoli/Isles series.