Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

No. of pages: 392
Rating: 6/10
Series: Generation Dead (Book 1)

Synopsis: All over the tri-state area, something strange is happening. Teenagers who die aren't staying dead. They are coming back to life, but they come back different - they stutter and their reactions to everything are slower. Termed 'living impaired' or 'differently biotic', there are lots of conspiracy theories to explain this new phenomenon. But as their numbers keep on growing, so does the discomfort of the living people in the community. When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, her best friend and star of the football team, Adam, has conflicting emotions. And when Tommy decides to try out for the football team, it sets off a chain of events that escalates into deadly violence.

Review: Phoebe is a goth, so she's a bit of an outcast, but nothing like the 'living impaired' kids that have started to attend their school. But as Phoebe becomes friends with, and starts to fall for Tommy, one of the 'living impaired', she realises that there are people that will do anything to stop their relationship...

This is a hard book for me to review. I liked it and yet I didn't like it, but I'm finding it hard to say exactly why. I loved the 'zombies' aspect, but found the story and writing to be quite slow going. When I was reading it, I'd find my mind drifting off and thinking about other things, and then I'd abruptly remember that I should be concentrating on this. I did enjoy the storyline, and most of the characters, I just wish the writing had a bit more 'umph' to it. I wasn't that keen on the ending, but I will carry on with the series to see how the plot progresses and hope the next book will be more enjoyable.

The Fledgling Handbook by P.C. Cast

No. of pages: 157
Rating: 6/10
Series: House Of Night (Handbook)

Synopsis: Merry meet, fledgling. I trust this guide will serve you well...Every vampyre fledgling who arrives at the House of Night receives a copy of The Fledgling Handbook 101, and now, fans can have one, too, with this gorgeous must-have edition. Inside you'll find original stories, the complete vampyre history, inside info into rituals, vamp biology, and the Change, and much more.

Review: A companion guide to the House Of Night series. The Fledgling Handbook is given to all new vampyre fledglings upon arriving at the House Of Night, and it describes many aspects of life as a vampyre, including history, ritual information, what will happen during your change and almost everything else!

I was kind of looking forward to this, as it's mentioned so much during the series and I was so curious what would be in it. I felt mostly disappointed though, it's super short, and still it dragged when I was reading the pages, and there isn't even that much text in there either! The pages are lovely though, thick shiny paper, and lots of pretty pictures and such on them. Basically it's just filler, most of the stuff in it, you know from the series itself and it was clearly released just to cash in on the success of the series. Not worth buying in my opinion, but if you're interested, borrow from a friend or the library.

Coyote Moon by John Vornholt

No. of pages: 165
Rating: 6/10
Series: Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Book 1, Story 1)

Synopsis: In every generation, there is a Chosen One. A slayer destined to protect the human race. She alone must fight the demons of hell. She alone must risk her life to stop the spread of evil.

Buffy is the Chosen One.

In Coyote Moon, a typical night at the carnival becomes deadly as shape shifters turn the amusement park into their own house of horrors.

Review: Buffy Summers is the 'chosen one' of her generation, meaning that she has to kill vampires, demons and all sorts of other monsters that she comes up against living over the hellmouth. Buffy, Willow and Xander are enjoying the end of their summer at the carnival when Buffy discovers the carnival owners are more than what they first seem, and they have deadly plans for Sunnydale.

I've just recently finished re-watching the seven seasons of the show, and so really enjoyed reading some of the fiction based on it, which I never did as a teen when I originally watched the show. I thought the characters were very recognisable as the original characters, Xander in particularly was hilariously funny during the story. I enjoyed some of the funny comments made throughout, but I found some of the dialogue to be a bit more cheesy than it is in the show. The plot was interesting and original, and I enjoyed reading Coyote Moon, but feel like it would have been better read when I was in my teens.

Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 238
Rating: 6/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 10)

Synopsis: Sookie Stackhouse has finally settled into a relationship with the Viking vampire Eric, and her errant brother Jason seems to have his life in order, too. But all the other people in Sookie’s life – Eric himself, her former lover Bill, her friend and boss Sam – are having family problems. Eric’s maker shows up with Eric’s ‘brother’ in tow, the ailing Bill can only be healed by a blood sibling, and Sam’s brother’s marriage is about to take place... or will it? The furor raised by the coming out of the two-natured has yet to settle; some people are just not ready to sit down to dinner with a man who turns into a dog. And Sookie herself is still recovering from her last ordeal. She’s definitely improving, physically and mentally, but she’s always going to have some dark moments now. The werewolves tell her that there have been strange and ominous passers-by in the Stackhouse woods; now Sookie is about to come face-to-face with one of her more distant relatives...

Review: Sookie is slowly recoving from the Fae war, and has now settled into a relationship with Eric Northman. But of course the peace can't last forever, especially when Eric's maker turns up, and brings with him an awful lot of problems. That coupled with the strange happenings in Sookie's wood mean that as usual there's a big mess that Sookie has to clean up...

I've been looking forward to this book for months, but sadly found it to be such a disappointment. Compared to previous books in the series, Dead In The Family was too slow paced which just made it boring. I thought Sookie and Eric would finally get some quality time together, but Eric was barely a part of the storyline, and when they were together, it was just not what I expected it to be like. Another thing that really bothered me, was the random snippets on other people, almost as though it was shoved in just to fill out the already very short book. It just seemed hurried and pointless, and appeared so out of place. The only thing I really enjoyed with this book was getting to know Claude a bit more. I really hope the next book really picks back up like previous books as this just wasn't up to par, which is a shame.

Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

No. of pages: 362
Rating: 6/10
Series: The Immortals (Book 2)

Synopsis: Things have changed for Ever since she met her beloved Damen - not least because she's got a whole new set of powers, courtesy of her new Immortal status. Just as she's getting stronger, though, Damen seems to be weakening. Panicked at the thought of losing him, Ever finds a path to the in-between world known as Summerland, where she learns the secrets of Damen's tortured past. But in searching for a cure for him, Ever accidentally discovers a way to twist time so she can save her family from the accident that killed them. It's all she's ever wanted - but so is Damen. And Ever must choose between them...

Review: Now that she's Immortal, Ever assumes she has all the time in the world to spend with Damen, learning about her new powers. But something is very wrong, Damen starts to weaken all of sudden, and then is completely unrecognisable as his previous self. Ever must do everything she can to save him, but when she's trying to find a way to save him, she finds something even more important...a way to save her family, but who should she choose?

While the tone of the writing was still incredibly easy to read, meaning that it barely took anytime at all to get through, this book is nowhere near as good as it's predecessor, Evermore. The storyline was pretty boring, and so obvious right from the beginning, yet it takes 300 pages to reveal something you can work out 5 pages into the book. I thought the ending/set up for the next book was something I've seen so many times before, and it just seems so unoriginal. Really unimpressed with this installment, but I'll still give the next book a shot, however, I really think the author needs to think up an original storyline for a series that has quite a lot of potential, but as of yet, is a let down.

Bareback by Kit Whitfield

No. of pages: 368
Rating: 6/10

Synopsis: It is a world much like our own, with one deadly difference: ninety-nine percent of the population is lycanthropic. When the full moon rises, humans transform into lunes, blood thirsty beasts who cannot be reasoned with or tamed. Those few born unable to change are disparagingly known as barebacks, and live as victims of prejudice and oppression. All too often, they are targets of savage mauling and death by lunes who break the law to roam free on full-moon nights.

Twenty something bareback Lola Galley is already a veteran of the Department for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthropic Activities. When her friend loses a hand to a marauding lune, then is murdered before the attacker is brought to trial, Lola is desperate to see justice prevail. But the truth is seldom simple–and Lola may not like the shocking answers she uncovers.

Review: 99% of the population are werewolves, and for the very few that are born as 'barebacks', they are considered to have a disability, and are looked down upon by the rest of society. Being 'bareback' means that on a full moon night, they stay human and do not change into wolves, and so they have no choice by to join DORLA and hunt down rogue wolves who do not lock down, but instead roam outside illegally. When a friend of Lolas is mauled on a full-moon night by a rogue wolf and then later killed, she is determined to find out who it was. But along the way she find out some things that she would have never imagined...

This was a fairly enjoyable storyline, nothing particularly exciting or thrilling, but rather a slow paced story with a few twists. The characters are well written, but none are particularly endearing or likeable, although I really felt sorry for Lola at times. The world that is created is realistic and easily imaginable. The story was just generally a tad too slow going for my tastes, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading to find out what happened next. I'd say read it if you have nothing better, or can borrow it, but not a book to rush out and buy.

The Hundredth Man by Jack Kerley

No. of pages: 499
Rating: 6/10
Series: Carson Ryder (Book 1)

Synopsis: A body is found in the sweating heat of an Alabama night; headless, words inked on the skin. Detective Carson Ryder is good at this sort of thing - crazies and freaks. To his eyes it is no crime of passion, and when another mutilated victim turns up his suspicions are confirmed. This is not the work of a 'normal' murderer, but that of a serial killer, a psychopath. Famous for solving a series of crimes the year before, Carson Ryder has experience with psychopaths. But he had help with that case - strange help, from a past Ryder is trying to forget. Now he needs it again. When the truth finally begins to dawn, it shines on an evil so twisted, so dangerous, it could destroy everything that he cares about...

Review: When men start turning up dead with their heads missing, Carson Ryder and his partner are called in. But they need help to solve the mystery, and the help they need has to come from Ryder's very ugly past...

I didn't find this as enjoyable as the book I've read futher into the series, and I don't know whether it was because the storyline was just too slow for my tastes, or whether this book just wasn't up to par as it was his debut novel. The writing itself was really easy to read, and enjoyable in that respect, but I felt the story was so slow moving, the action only happening in the last 60 or so pages in a 500 page book. I liked the characters though, I thought they were well fleshed out and it was easy to get to know them. I will carry on reading this series as I know that it does get better several books down the line, I just wasn't feeling it with this one.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

No. of pages: 386
Rating: 6/10

Synopsis: Julia and Valentina Poole are normal American teenagers - normal, at least, for identical 'mirror' twins who have no interest in college or jobs or possibly anything outside their cozy suburban home. But everything changes when they receive notice that an aunt whom they didn't know existed has died and left them her flat in an apartment block overlooking Highgate Cemetery in London. They feel that at last their own lives can begin ...but have no idea that they've been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives, from the obsessive-compulsive crossword setter who lives above them to their aunt's mysterious and elusive lover who lives below them, and even to their aunt herself, who never got over her estrangement from the twins' mother - and who can't even seem to quite leave her flat. With Highgate Cemetery itself a character and echoes of Henry James and Charles Dickens, "Her Fearful Symmetry" is a delicious and deadly twenty-first-century ghost story about Niffenegger's familiar themes of love, loss and identity.

Review: When Elspeth dies, she leaves all her belongings to her identical twin nieces, who she saw only once when they were 4 months old. The twins don't even know that their mother is an identical twin herself, so it comes as a big surprise when they get the letter to tell them they now own a flat in London. When they move into the flat, they meet Martin, the middle aged guy who lives upstairs who's crippled with severe OCD and can't leave his flat. They also meet Robert, the guy who lives below them, who was their aunt's lover. As they settle into life in their flat, they realise Elspeth isn't as gone as they thought...

I really was expecting a lot from this book, maybe too much and that's why I felt so disappointed when I had finished. But I think more than that, there was just that something that made The Time Traveler's Wife so great, that was missing from Her Fearful Symmetry. The story itself was okay, there were some great characters, but I sometimes felt there was no explanation for some of the characters actions, when it didn't seem to fit with what we knew of their personalities.

I guessed one of the big plot surprises about 40 pages in, it seemed incredibly obvious and I'm curious to see if it's as obvious for other people too. I absolutely hated the last quarter of the book, it just got more and more ridiculous and I felt it ruined the whole tone of the story with such a poor ending. On the plus side though, the writing is incredibly easy to read, and so it feels like the story is progressing very quickly rather than being long and drawn out.

The Reunion by L.J. Smith

No. of pages: 216
Rating: 6/10
Series: Vampire Diaries (Book 4)

Synopsis: Elena summons the vampire brothers once more to unite and challenge their fate. Together they will be called to face the most terrifying evil Fell’s Church has ever known.

Review: When something very powerful comes to Fell's Church and starts killing Elena's friends, she must summon back Stefan and Damon to help save Fell's Church once more...

I wasn't sure where this story was going to go after the cliffhanger at the end of The Fury, but it played out quite well and made an interesting story to round up the initial four books of the series (the author is currently releasing three new books for this series after a 17 year break). I liked how the characters developed through the book, starting out as pretty unlikeable, but then growing into characters that were much more realistic. I'm not sure if I'll buy the new books for this series, because although the books got better, as a whole, I can think of much more enjoyable vampire books to read. Overall, I'll give this series a 3/5, a slow start, but definitely getting better as it goes on, I'd say aimed more at young teens around 13 or 14.

The Fury by L.J. Smith

No. of pages: 192
Rating: 6/10
Series: Vampire Diaries (Book 3)

Synopsis: Faced with an ancient evil, Stefan and Damon must stop their feuding and join forces with Elena to confront it. But in so doing, they are unwittingly sealing her fate...

Review: There's something very evil in Fell's Church and it's stronger than anyone imagines, so Elena, Stefan and Damon group together to try and conquer it, only it doesn't go to plan...

I'm so glad to say that these books are definitely getting better as they go on, and although I wouldn't say they're overly great, they are pretty easy to read. There was a lot more happening in this story, which made it a lot more enjoyable to read, but the ending was a big surprise, so I'm interested to see where that goes in the next story.

Your Heart Belongs To Me by Dean Koontz

No. of pages: 406
Rating: 6/10

Synopsis: Ryan Perry, at 34, is a young man – hardly of an age to be on a waiting list, nervously hoping for a heart transplant. Luck appears to be with him: he is the recipient of a new heart, and (fortunately) the transplant takes, triumphantly. But a year passes, and Ryan begins to receive gifts in the shape of hearts, sent anonymously. A feeling of paranoia sets in – and this feeling is exacerbated when a large amount of money vanishes from his bank account – it has been donated to a local hospital’s cardiology department. Needless to say, all of this is a prelude to something truly horrific: everything he owns – including his new heart – is to be torn from him, and he is informed he will die a grisly death. Who is Ryan’s tormentor?

Review: Internet mogul Ryan Perry is young, rich and enjoying life to the full, until he starts having heart problems. But when he has his heart replacement he finds that his problems are only just beginning...

This book wasn't really what I was expecting it to be and I think that's why I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The story didn't even really get anywhere until over half way through, and then it wasn't anything like previous thrillers by him I have read. If you approach the book as just a drama rather than the supernatural type thriller it's advertised as, then it's an okay read, nothing fantastic, but readable. I just found the story to be a bit too random and choppy. Certainly nothing I'd recommend.

Life On The Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

No. of pages: 226
Rating: 6/10

Synopsis: Mom, I went to the store. See inside the fridge. I watered the plants. I cleaned out Peter's cage. I tidied the sitting room. And the kitchen. And I did the washing up. I'm going to bed. Your live-in servant, Claire. "Life on the Refrigerator Door" is told exclusively through notes exchanged by Claire and her mother, Elizabeth, during the course of a life-altering year. Their story builds to an emotional crescendo when Elizabeth is diagnosed with breast cancer. Stunningly sad but ultimately uplifting, this is a clever, moving, and original portrait of the relationship between a daughter and mother. It is about how we live our lives constantly rushing, and never making time for those we love. It is also an elegy to how much can be said in so few words, if only we made the time to say them.

Review: I liked the style in which this book is written, as notes that have been left between a mother and her teenage daughter on the door of their refrigerator, although it's style makes it a very quick read. Obviously with the book consisting of just small notes, there's no real depth to the story, you don't know enough to become attached to the characters, and that's a shame, because people who are living through a bad situation with cancer could find this book a great comfort if it were more 'story-like'. But I do think there's a moral in this story, that we're so caught up with rushing through life that we never take a second just to slow down and talk to the ones we love, and how it's important to do that before it's too late. It's something I was glad to have read, but probably not something I'll pick up again.

The Treatment by Mo Hayder

No. of pages: 397
Rating: 6/10

Synopsis: Midsummer, and in an unassuming house on a quiet residential street on the edge of Brockwell Park in south London, a husband and wife are discovered, imprisoned in their own home. Badly dehydrated, they've been bound and beaten, and the husband is close to death. But worse is to come: their young son is missing. When DI Jack Caffery of the Met's AMIT squad is called in to investigate, the similarities to events in his own past make it impossible for him to view this new crime with the necessary detachment. And as Jack digs deeper, as he attempts to hold his own life together in the face of ever more disturbing revelations about both the past and the present, the real nightmare begins...Horrifying, unforgettable, intense, The Treatment is a novel that touches the raw nerve of our darkest imaginings.

Review: I didn't realise when I started reading this, that there's another book that proceeds this one, and it's referred too quite a lot during this book, so you'd really need to read Birdman first. As for this book, it's very dark, I found it hard going to keep reading about something so depraved, but I perservered, and then felt frustrated at the ending. The storyline is not to my taste really as the whole book revolves around a pedophile ring that like young boys, but I didn't realise that before I started reading. I found it a bit too graphic, and felt that more language was used than really necessary. But the mystery part of the book is woven well, and I was surprised at some of the revelations near the end.

No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

No. of pages: 437
Rating: 6/10

Synopsis: The house was deathly quiet. That was the first sign that something was terribly wrong. Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge woke that morning to find herself alone. Her family—mother, father, and brother—had vanished without a word, without a note, without a trace. Twenty-five years later, Cynthia is still looking for answers. Now she is about to learn the devastating truth.

Review: I feel quite torn about this book, the plot in itself was a great idea, but as much as I wanted to like it, I felt that the first half of the book dragged. The ending was great, action packed and thrilling like promised, a tad predictable in parts, but there were a few things that I didn't see coming that were played out very well. As for characters, my favourite was Terry, I thought he was well developed and he wasn't perfect, which makes him all the more believable. The reason I've given this a 3/5 is because I think the book is just okay, and not great or amazing. I think it's worth a read, but it's one of those books that once read, it's never picked up again, at least for me.

Highlight for spoilers: I rather like Vince Fleming's character, who turned out to be one of the good guys, even though he's a criminal normally and was insinuated to be the killer. I felt Enid was the typical bad guy, evil with no explanation or reason to be, and that felt way to easy. The biggest shock to me was Rolly though! Never saw that one coming at all, and to think I liked him and thought he was one of the good guys.

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer

No. of pages: 202
Rating: 6/10

Synopsis: What would possess a gifted young man recently graduated from college to literally walk away from his life? In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his emaciated body was found in an abandoned bus by a moose hunter. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.

Review: I wanted to read this after watching the film that was based on this book, but I think I would say, the film is better. The book would have been much better if it had been written chronologically and without wandering off to talk about other people who have "walked into the wild" and not survived. The author even wrote a whole chapter about himself, which I had no interest in, so skimmed past. It all just seemed so irrelevent to the story about Chris McCandless. But I can understand why Chris did what he did, to just lose everything material and get away from civilisation must be nice, but one tiny mistake cost him his life, and that is what is very tragic about this story. I've given it 3/5 just because I disliked the format of the book, but the actual story of Chris McCandless is 5/5, but I'd recommend the film rather than the book.

The Tales Of Beedle The Bard by J.K. Rowling

No. of pages: 105
Rating: 6/10
Series: Harry Potter (Short Stories)

Synopsis: A very special book of five fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, including the enlightening and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard's-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations on the Tales allow today's readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that "Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles" during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters.

Review: I enjoyed reading the tales, but felt they were a tad too short. The explainations by Dumbledore at the end of each tale was longer than the actual tale itself, and in general I felt the whole book was very small. I would have loved to read more tales from Harry Potter's world and it's a shame she didn't include more than 5. Overall I gave this a 3/5 because I was slightly disappointed by the shortness of everything, but other than that, the tales were enjoyable.