31 January 2013

Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


The Book Thief

Book: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
File type: Paperback
Publisher: Black Swan
Release Date: September 8th 2007


synopsis:

HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH. It's a small story, about: a girl, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW - DEATH WILL VISIT THE BOOK THIEF THREE TIMES.

review:
Is it just me or is Mr.Zusak really cute? No seriously. He is, isn't he? Look at those dimples. Go ahead..JUST LOOK AT THEM. And oh his writing. A dimple guy who writes. *Dies.*

Anyway.The Book Thief was an amazing book. If you haven't read it yet, then you're an idiot. Case Closed. Sayonara. Bye.

I wish I could just end my review here but I have so much to say. And today is one of those many days where I read a book, loved it and words seem to just bounce off of me. See when I got my copy, I had a fair idea of how I would find myself in the end: Weeping and chanting Zusak's name.
But what I didn't expect was the kind of devastation it would cause. I’ve read a fair amount of reviews and I knew that there were going to be tears. What I didn’t think about was the magnitude.

It's a small story, about: a girl, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.

It is.

SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH. 

Holy mother or lord. Best Narrator Ever.

The story is set in Germany during the time when Hitler ruled. We’re all aware of the horrors of holocaust. How there were concentration camps and gas chambers and acid showers , the idea of which still scare me. How there were the Jews and the Nazis. Then there were some who simply were German. There was unemployment everywhere. It was a time of war and helplessness. Around this time when there were atrocities inflicted upon people and threats of bombing were spread around everywhere , there was this one particular young girl who stole books. A girl who found books magical and words fascinating and not once but thrice stole books just because she wanted to read. This is that girl , Liesel Meminger’s story. It’s narrated by death and it’s unforgettable.
It’s true. This is a simple story and that’s where it’s beauty lies. This one is for those who crave thought-provoking and moving stories.

I have to say, the writing is pure genius. There was the right amount of everything. There was sarcasm and heartbreaking honesty. And the way the characters have been created is marvellous. Each and every character impacts the heart and I think that this is Zusak’s biggest achievement.
Liesel Meminger was one female I couldn’t help but love. Her fascination with books and simple take on life was really endearing. I think every reader in general is going to love her because of how enthusiastic she is towards books. I also love how her character growth has been portrayed in the book. We meet her when she’s about nine in the book and it’s perfect because after all our naive years there is a time when everybody grows up and the growth of this beautiful girl is well....beautiful! 
And then there was Rudy. And Max. And Mr. Hubermann. I cannot get enough of this book.

So here’s the thing. This book is beautiful. And it’s AUSTRALIAN! And Zusak is obnoxiously cute. So do yourself a favour , buy the book and simply enjoy because this one deserves a place in all your bookshelves. 

Note- It's on the longer side. So be patient.


30 January 2013

Book Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly


Title:  Revolution
Author:  Jennifer Donnelly
File type:  hardcover
Release date:  October 13th , 2010
Genre:  YA, historical, contemporary, time travel

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.
PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.
Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Revolution is one of those rare books that both adults and teens can read and still see how wonderful it is.

I usually have a hunch when it comes to buying books published before 2011 and almost always get it right.  Back then, the YA community was still trying to find a firm ground and there weren’t many desperate “authors” who would write about anything just so they could poison our minds. Jennifer Donnelly is one of the few that actually knows how to write a good, quality book rather than those books where your new boyfriend helps you to get rid of all your problems and worries. I don’t think there’s ever been a book which made me cry so many times.  I cried 4 times in the first 100 pages and that says a lot because this book had 472 pages of pure emotions on paper.

 Our protagonist Andi is still battling with the death of her ten-year-old brother Truman so she turns to drugs and alcohol.  So, Andi accompanies her father to Paris for a couple of days so she could write her senior thesis on Amade Malherbeau, a French musician.  There she discovers a hidden compartment in a guitar case that can be opened with her brother’s key. The diary that was hidden in it is from a girl, Alexandrine Paradis, who wrote it two centuries ago.

Even though girls lived 2 centuries apart they still have a lot in common. While Andi is dealing with the guilt over her brother’s death, Alex is trying to save a little prince from a certain death. Through Alex’s daily battle Andi finds the strength to go on with her life and not just wait for it to end.

What I love about this book that it combines historical (which I don’t usually read) and contemporary fiction so easily you can feel like you’re living in the middle of the French Revolution and running around the modern day Paris.

Revolution is one of the best books I’ve read-ever. This is a must read for everyone! Well, actually not everyone, since some people don’t have taste and only enjoy in reading nonsense.  

This book also has a lot of different covers and I like every last one of them. 




Quotes:

“Life’s all about the revolution, isn’t it? The one inside, I mean. You can’t change history. You can’t change the world. All you can ever change is yourself.”

“There is only one thing I fear now-love. For I have seen it and I have felt it and I know that it is love, not death, that undoes us.” 

“History is a Rorschach test, people. What you see when you look at it tells you as much about yourself as it does about the past.” 

“Cry your grief to God. Howl to the heavens. Tear your shirt. Your hair. Your flesh. Gouge out your eyes. Carve out your heart. And what will you get from Him? Only silence. Indifference. But merely stand looking at the playbills, sighing because your name is not on them, and the devil himself appears at your elbow full of sympathy and suggestions. And that's why I did it....Because God loves us, but the devil takes an interest.”



29 January 2013

Book Review: Hooked by Liz Fichera

Title: Hooked
Author: Liz Fichera
Publication date: January 31st 2013

Genre: YA, contemporary, sports
Pages: 368


Get hooked on a girl named Fred... HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Why is a girl taking my best friends spot on the boy's varsity golf team?
SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys' team? Everyone will hate me - especially Ryan Berenger.HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred's got to go - especially now that I can't get her out of my head. So not happening.SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he's not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.But there's no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile...

This is a story about Fred, a Native American girl golfer who joins her all boy’s Varsity high school golf team. She gets Seth’s place on the team  and he is not happy about that. His best friend, Ryan accepts the fact Seth won’t be joining him again really fast. But Seth can’t let it go even though he is not very good at golf.  So he starts to bully Fred at every chance he gets.

What I liked about this story that it’s about sports-golf, to be exact. I don’t know anything about golf so it was refreshing to actually learn something reading YA novels. I thought golf was only for white, bored rich people but I couldn’t be more wrong.  Apparently, even girls can play it. Crazy, I know. :P

When I first saw this book on GoodReads I thought Wow, I gotta have this. But when I started reading it it wasn’t what I thought it would be. That is probably my problem, for thinking Fred would stand up for herself when people called her Pocahontas and dirty Indian. I just hate watching people get bullied because I used to be bullied too. But the difference between Fred and me is that I fought back and eventually the scum who tormented me backed away after they saw I wouldn’t put up with their shit.

Also,at times it got a lot of dramatic. All sorts of bad things kept happening to the MC and it went too far. IMO. 

When it comes to the romance I was also disappointed and that disappointment is connect with the way I thought Fred would be as a character. Ryan isn’t perfect either but he did man up a couple of times and I respect that. It would be better if we got more of Fred and Ryan scenes where they would talk and get to know each other better but those scenes kind of faded into black.

In conclusion, I liked this book enough to read the second book, Played when it comes out. The main characters in this book will be Fred’s friend Sam and Ryan’s sister Riley. 


28 January 2013

Book Review: Boundless by Cynthia Hand


Boundless (Unearthly, #3)

Book: Boundless
Author: Cynthia Hand
File Type: Ebook
Release Date: 22nd January 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen 


synopsis:

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

review:
"That's what I feel. I'd die to to protect you."
 


OR

"That little stink. That overly protective, impossible, infuriating, and utterly sweet little stink."

If you read my earlier reviews of Unearthly and Hallowed, you would notice that I wasn't a big fan of both the books. The flaw lay in the story. Even though both the books were fairly entertaining and all the characters had voices that screamed 'FUN', in the end it all came down to how and where the story led you and in both the cases, it only led me to disappointment. And that is precisely why, I wasn't so excited about reading this one. In other cases, many of my friends have totally adored this series and have been swept off their feet by the cowboy (yes,Tucker.) of the book. I, being the party pooper, couldn't see why they even liked him.
My heart was always vouching for Christian, the other guy. The guy who understood Clara's problems and the guy who always stood by her.
To also add to that, LOVE TRIANGLES INFURIATE ME.

So you can only imagine how this one here surprised me!
It could be the last-book-of-the-series-syndrome or could be because my expectations were low but hell, this book was the perfect end to the series.
I like how this one wasn't all about Clara.
After reading Radiant , the short story which had Angela's and Clara's trip to Italy narrated in it, we already know that there are problems simmering on the surface. And we also have the finale of the Tucker-Clara-Christian triangle drama. Which might I add was really bittersweet. I'm sure all of you want to know who Clara finally ends up with, don't you? 
The best thing about this book is that it's the real deal. The final showdown. In many words, all the crap or amazingness the previous two books put us all through finally makes sense and sounds worthwhile when you come to read this one.

And there is that ACTION.
Hurray!!! I'm doing the googly dance just because there are action sequences in this one. There is fighting. And there is nobody in this whole wide world who could be as happy as I am to see violent fights. 
Now you would think why anyone would even like violence and would want perfectly okay people fight and probably kill each other?
Because, Katniss wouldn't have been Katniss if there was no war and there is nothing like that adrenaline rush you feel when you're in the middle of an action sequence.

To put simple things straight, this book was fantastic.
It was fun, sad , shocking and heart-exploding and I'm surprised that I'm even alive.
I changed who I liked again and again and finally had to just accept what Ms.Hand threw at me. As a reader, whenever there was thinking required , I thought and thought and did my guessing but never did I ever come close.

In the end, Boundless redeemed itself and made me totally happy. So if you're one of those who like me questions whether he/she should read this one, then I would definitely recommend you to stop questioning yourself and just read this book because you know you want to. And as for those who do, what the hell are you even waiting for? :D




Book Review: Up In Flames by Nicole Willams

Title: Up In Flames
Author: Nicole Willams
File type: Kindle
Release date: December 19th 2012
Genre: Adult, contemporary romance

One small town girl with a bright future. One smokejumper with a dark past. One summer that will forever change them both. They’re going . . .
Up In Flames. 


Elle’s life couldn’t possibly get any more small town than it already is. She was raised in the same home as the two generations before her were, her family owns the iconic downtown cafe, and she’s been dating the pastor’s son since she was allowed to go on her first date at sixteen. 
Cole’s life couldn’t possibly get any larger. He’s tried. Roaming from town to town for the past three summers as a smokejumper, Cole dreads the thought of putting down roots. The only thing he avoids more than that is settling down with one woman, especially when there are as many willing women as there are trees in the forest he jumps out of planes to save.
Elle Montgomery’s life is going one way. And Cole Carson’s is going the opposite. There’s no reason their paths should ever intersect, even in a small town in central Washington. 
But summer in the Methow Valley has other plans for Elle and Cole. After an awkward run-in at the local swimming hole, Elle tries to keep away from the guy who looks at her like she’s already lying beneath him in bed. She fails. Cole is about as successful at staying away from the girl who seems immune to his charms.
As the summer heats up, and tensions between Elle and Cole run high, he begins to realize there’s more he’s attracted to than Elle’s body, and she discovers there’s a lot more to the man that jumps out of planes into raging forest fires than meets the eye.

As far as I know there are two types of books about cheating: 

1. those who actually make me like the cheaters
2. those who make me want to burn them to ashes

and this book goes into the second category. 

Wow! What a load of crap. This girl(forgot her name right after I finished it-not a good sign)is acting like she was living in a freaking monastery where people aren't allowed to say things like rack,penis,f#*% and so on but she still goes to this lake for a naked swim. What the actual *beep*? And she cheats on her boyfriend! And she goes and tells the cheater he 'made' her moan in disgust! I mean,what is wrong with her?! I hate this kind of wannabe goody two shoes characters. I am so mad! Ugh! And this new guy is not any better than her. He comes into this story like Hey,baby. I've seen your pubic hair and I know you want your hand all over my godlike body but then starts acting like a jealous schoolgirl sleeping and groping other women in front of this saint idiot. 

I don't know how can people write this stuff. And it has such a high rating. Whaaat? O_o I am scared for humanity,I really am.


25 January 2013

Book review: 'Till the World Ends by Julie Kagawa

Title:  'Till the World Ends
Author:  Julie Kagawa
File type:  eARC
Release date:  January 29th, 2012
Genre:  YA, dystopia, horror, vampires


Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa 
Before The Immortal Rules, there was the Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden-as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What's worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she's beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems.... 

 I am sorry, but I didn’t like this short story at all. Sure, Kanin was there for a while but her was more of an extra than a real character. He still managed to get my attention because he is Kanin. Dark, tortured, brooding vampire who wants to make things right.

Main character of this story is Kyle, a doctor in training who takes care of her dying patients who got infected with Red Lungs. I have no objections when it comes to her and her man, Ben. It’s just that the story itself jumped from YA dystopian novel into overly dramatic mess. It went something like this Dear, the world is ending. Let’s have unprotected sex! Who has time to go on a condom hunt! Ignore the strange man we met an hour ago who let us make love on his bed. If we stay quiet he won’t even hear us. Then Kyle and Ben travel to his childhood home which is in the middle of nowhere because he needs to go back even though his father is a hillbilly. And of course, people there don’t believe there are things like zombies and vampires until the rise from the ground and attack them. They huddle up the house while rabids run around. Some people die and we see Kanin again in the end boarding a boat like a boss saying to himself he will murder the whole crew.

I really didn’t expect this novella to be such a flop because it’s Julie Kagawa we’re talking about.  I don’t have high expectations when it comes to novellas but I felt like this one was written just for the money. Over-the-top romance didn’t help either. 


22 January 2013

Top Ten Tuesday #5



Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of


  1. Australia- Aussieland is the golden continent. Almost every book that gets published down under is often on of  my favorite novels. 
  2. St. Vladimir's Academy - You know what this means? St. Vladimir's Academy means more Dimka and Rose. Hope Richelle writes more VA sequels because it those Cast ladies can write that abomination when Richelle can give us the pleasure of reading here jewels. 
  3. Paris- Oh, Paris. I have been in love with it since I saw Eiffel's Tower when I was a little girl. So, more Paris and more gorgeous French men. 
  4. San Francisco- Now,I admit I became obsessed with SF after reading Lola. The whole dynamic of the city is remarkable. And there is a large gay community there. 
  5. Asia- I know very little about Asia. We need more books about India, Japan, China, etc. I am not picky, well, not too much. Just gimme something new and refreshing to read about.  




1.Greek Mythology- I loved Percy Jackson! And even though my Greek mythology knowledge is limited to the series , I'd like to know more and experience even though everything that's thrown at me is fictional. I'd love to see more of Greek settings.
2.Australia- None of my Australian treasures have ever disappointed me. And all I want is to see more of these beauties rolling in.
3.Europe- Just One Day, Anna and the French Kiss, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, The Infernal Devices etc. are some of my favourites which have characters bouncing around Europe. The history and the beauty of each and every country is more than enough to make me want more books with an European setting.  
4.Road trip- I am a total sucker for books with a road trip setting. I love travelling. And to experience travelling even if it's through reading (I know it sounds bizarre) , is enough for me to want more of them.
5.Summer vacations- Oh the beaches and all that sun. Oh those beautiful sleepy days and a leisure time for us to read many books. Oh those beautiful things that summer brings with it. The  Summer I turned Pretty and Twenty Boy Summer were books I cherish even today! So let those summery things begin!





19 January 2013

Book Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman


Just One Day (Just One Day, #1)

Book: Just One Day
Author: Gayle Forman
File Type: Paperback
Release Date: 8th January 2013
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile


synopsis: 
A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay
When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

review:"Sometimes the best way to find out what you're supposed to do is by doing the thing you're notsupposed to do." 

Dear book,
Why are you so beautiful?

There are times when I love a book so much that words just seem to leap out of me like an endless roll of nice tissue paper. I just keep going on and on and on. But then there are those days too when I have no absolutely no clue of what to say . Today is one of those tragic days.
It's been what..three days? and I still can't find those words. 
There is no surprise in the fact that Just One Day is a beautiful book. I've loved Ms.Forman since If I stay and Where She Wentwas simply unforgettable. Her writing is beautiful and so alive, that you can't help but imagine yourself in places and situations the protagonists get to live in. You can't not love the world she creates. 
I remember how Adam's and Mia's story in Where She Wenttook my breath away. I remember how much I wanted to visit New York just because I wanted to find that tiny bowling alley and bowl my ass off and how I wanted to take a boat and see the Statue of Liberty closely just so I could scream out insane jokes and hear my insane voice echo. How I wanted to just simply explore! I remember how emotional I felt. I remember how sad I felt for both Adam and Mia.
How can you not love a woman who writes such books?
And hell, she's done it yet again.

Here's what I want to do now.
I want to wander around Paris and get lost. I want to walk those cobblestones and I want to eat macaroons and get fat.
I want to meet a beautiful dutch guy. I want to feel exactly like Allyson 'LuLu' felt in this book: Alive.

This book is about finding yourself.
Finding who you are. Standing your ground.
This is Allyson's book.
And her journey to self-discovery is nothing but beautiful.
I'll admit, the mid-section of the book was a big turn off. But I love how cleverly Ms.Forman used the dull emotion of the midsection and turned it into something extraordinary by the end. And sweet mother of lord! THAT END.
Is that how you're going to play Ms.Forman?
Fine. Bring it woman. With Just One Year, kill me exactly like the way you killed me when I finished read Where She Went
And make it good.
Because I would die a thousand times (in theory) if I had one of your books nestled in my arms.

Ps-The book is wonderful. So go ahead. Shoo.

17 January 2013

Book review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley


Title:  Graffiti Moon
Author:  Cath Crowley
File type:  paperback
Release date:  December 26th, 2012
Genre:  NA, contemporary romance

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.



Oh, my freaking God! People! People! This book! Oh, this book. I have no words. How can I persuade you to read this book? How? How, when I have no words. It’s going to be on my 2013 top 10 reads for sure. And let’s not forget about all-time favorite list.  After finish Graffiti Moon I threw my hands in the air like I climbed M. Everest. I love it! I love it so, so much! I want to live with Lucy, Shadow and Poet in their sunny town. I want to stalk Shadow and Poet with Lucy!

Thank you, Fassie. It means a lot.
Crowley’s writing style is smart and humorous at the same time. I swear, I laughed out loud so many times in the first 40 pages I started crying.   I’ve said it a thousand times, there is just something special about Aussie authors. They must know more about life, people and healthy relationships, something the rest of the world doesn’t even see. How else would I explain their pure awesomeness?

I’m rambling just to fool you into thinking I actually wrote a review for Graffiti Moon. Two paragraphs already written. I am on a roll.

Believe me when I say GM was a hard book to put down without finishing it first. The only reason I didn’t finish it right away is that I had to sleep because I get up really early. But after I finished with my chores I couldn’t stay way from it.

OK, I know I’m being childish with this poor excuse of a review.  I should probably start talking about the characters, plot and what it thought me but I won’t because I would just spoil it for everyone else. I have only one regret- I didn’t read it the first moment I got it. 

Beware! Print and ebook aren’t the same versions of the book! Since I have both I spotted a couple of chapters in the middle are missing or totally different so I would suggest that everyone reads it in paperback or hardback. That way you also support author to write even more brilliant books. 



Blog Tour + Giveaway: Vain by Fisher Amelie





If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.
Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.
I’m Sophie Price and this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.


My review:

I must admit this blurb got my attention. Who doesn’t want to read a book with a girl who doesn’t care who she hurts and does whatever she wants?

Sophie Price is a privileged girl who’s had pretty much everything expect real love. Her parents ignore her and are only concerned about their image. It makes Sophie rebel and tries to make others feel as miserable as she feels. Most of the people probably would give up after reading the first couple of chapters because she is truly a horrible to everyone. She didn’t only hurt other, but also herself. I stuck around because I knew she would change eventually and I was surprised how quickly she started to evolve into a decent person.

So, Sophie gets into trouble with the law and gets shipped to Africa. There she starts working in an orphanage and meets Ian. Ian has been working in the orphanage for long time and immediately challenges Sophie to wake up and starts doing something with her life. I’m glad she quickly picked up the pieces of her shattered life because she was obviously ready to change herself. She just needed a little push from the people who care about her. I really like the bond Sophie made with the little girl, Mandisa. It warmed my cold heart.

The biggest surprise of this novel is that the characters didn’t annoy me. I often have that problem even if I end up liking the book. Sophie is a reasonable girl with problems she carried for years but she did changed her life without doing any more damage while trying like some other characters do in other novels.

Romance between Sophie and Ian was so sweet and genuine. They didn’t get together fast but took time to get to know each other better which made me really happy. Where can I get a guy like Ian? Do I have to go to Africa?

I recommend this book to those who want to read a story about doing the right thing and great characters.

I would like to thank Fisher for including me in her blog tour and sending a copy of her book to me via Amazon.