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Top Ten Tuesday: Why I Love Being A Reader & A Book Blogger

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke & The Bookish. Each week they host a different top ten topic.




1. I can escape the world around me, even if it's only for five minutes on my journey home or for hours at a time. Sometimes, during the hardest times you can go through, getting sucked into a story can make you feel okay the whole time you're reading it. It transports you somewhere else entirely and I absolutely love that.





2. I seem to easily form bonds and relationships to fictional characters and it's wonderful. I find myself loving these characters as if they were real people and caring so much about them. Whether it's a character for you to love, hate, root for, cry over or eagerly anticipate their death, books can make me feel more emotions in a couple of hours of reading than I will feel going about my daily life for two weeks.


3. Book Boyfriends - we all have them, we all love them. Books are such amazing things but they are also terrible at the same time. The reason I say that is because they definitely give you very high expectations of what to expect from men. And most men can't live up to the guys we find in our books.

4. Sharing is caring - One of the main things I love about being a reader is sharing books with other people. When you find a book you absolutely love it makes you want to shout about it as much as you can and try to force as many other people as you can find to read it to. If they love it then I get the joy of gushing about it with them and if they hate it then I get the joy of an in depth discussion as to why. Some of my favourite books are ones that have been recommended/shoved at me by other people and I am so thankful for that.

I'm the one in the dress who looks far too happy!
5. It provided me with the most amazing childhood - I have read for as long as I can remember, but I was pretty much the perfect age for Harry Potter and was able to grow up reading it. That really made my childhood fantastic. The books coming out at midnight and being able to stay up to go get them. Having a reading marathon till the early hours of the morning to beat my sister to the end of each book. ALL THE EMOTIONS! The crying, shouting and the wanting to hurt J.K.Rowling for all she did in book seven. There was no better way to grow up!





1. The WOW factor - I love the amazing feeling that blogging has given me. And how each and every little milestone gives me such an amazing feeling. I still remember getting my first ever follower and thinking, Wow, just WOW! And that hasn't stopped yet, with each new comment or follower or word of support I get more little wows! And that's why I don't see myself ever giving this up.

2. The people - Blogging can be time consuming and so much harder than I ever imagined at times but the people make it worth it. I'm really shy in my day to day life (seriously, I am socially inept!), a job working with the public has helped but not much! So it's blown me away just how much easier it is to talk to people through the blog. I think it's the fact we all share the same interests and can get all giddy and excited about books together. I have to get over my shyness on Twitter though, I see great tweets but never comment back - this must change!

Henry Miller quote on writing3. Discovering new books - I got 25 books this year for Christmas and about 20 of those were books that I had only heard about because of blogging. I have started reading books that I normally wouldn't pick up because of peoples recommendations and I've enjoyed most of them. I'm finding books that are out in different countries but you don't really hear about here. My TBR list is now too long to even think about, but I couldn't be happier.

4. I always have something to do - I think other bloggers will understand just how much time, energy and effort goes into blogging. I am never bored any more because I can always update the blog or go discover new blogs. I can read peoples reviews or their recommendations, I can go comment on some incredible discussions. It is also an escape from the world around you, I can get caught up in writing a post or checking out other blogs and I love that. Last year was a really awful and emotional year, I can't imagine having a worse year. But through it all, blogging was something I could always look forward to and I am so grateful for that.

5. I don't feel crazy - I will explain. In my life I know very few people who have a love of books. I work in a library so that is saying a lot. I can't stop myself buying books, even though I own hundreds already that I haven't gotten to read yet. I can get lost in a book for hours and not want to put it down for anything. I can sob hysterically at a book and my boyfriend will look at me like I am actually going insane. But, thanks to blogging, I don't feel like a crazy person any more... I'm just a book lover! And finding so many people who feel the same way makes me feel like a sane, completely rational human being... maybe!



Leave me a link to your own TTT post! 

Through The Ever Night by Veronica Rossi (Under The Never Sky #2): Review

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky, #2)Title: Through The Ever Night (Under The Never Sky #2)
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: Atom
Buy This Book: Book Depository 

Aria has struggled to build a life for herself outside Reverie. It hasn't been easy adjusting to life in the wilderness but that struggle has been worth it with Perry by her side. 
But Perry has other challenges. His people are looking to him for answers. Answers about what happened to his nephew and what's happening to their world. And they don't trust the priviledged Aria, one of the enemy, in their midst. 
Soon he'll be forced to chose between the tribe that looks to him for leadership and the girl that looks to him for love.

Wow, just wow! That's pretty much how I felt after finishing this book. I am always nervous going into the a sequel, especially in this case because of how much I loved Under The Never Sky. Luckily for me, I had absolutely nothing to worry about because Veronica Rossi did not disappoint at all.

Rossi created such wonderful, believable and damn right loveable characters in Under The Never Sky, I was really nervous that they wouldn't be as amazing in this. At least now I know to never doubt Rossi ever again because she stepped it up even more in this. Perry is really struggling throughout this book, he's facing the responsibility of being Blood Lord and the realisation that it's not as easy as he had first assumed. His struggle was really believable, it's nice not to see someone just fall into a leadership role with complete ease and without any struggles. He began doubting himself, his ability and even Aria at times and I ended up feeling so bad for him. I struggled to be happy at every decision Aria made, and at times I really wanted to be able to reach into the book and shake her. But it didn't make me love her any less because she was right and doing everything she did for the greater good.

Roar is still one of my favourite secondary characters in a series... EVER! I think it's the fact that he is hilariously funny and actually made me laugh out loud at times. His love for Liv was really plain in this book and Rossi made it feel almost contagious; I felt anxious, scared and excited along with him at the chance of a reunion with her. This boy had me feeling so many emotions at one point that I couldn't quite determine what I was feeling.


A large part of the story takes place with the Tides, Perry's tribe and I found I really enjoyed that, even though it wasn't at all what I was expecting from the sequel. It was interesting to see tribe life and get to know all of the different characters and their roles within the tribe. There were quite a few major parts of the book that I did not see coming at all and really shocked me. This book got me really emotional and I was feeling far too much for these wonderful fictional characters.

The only thing I didn't really enjoy was that Aria and Perry seemed to spend so much of the book apart. It seems to be a trend with dystopian sequels and finding some way to keep the two leads apart for most if not the entirety of the book and it's a little infuriating. The characters get a little sullen and miserable, they miss one another and then they'll begin to question themselves and each other and I'm rolling my eyes, getting fed up with it all. I wanted more Aria and Perry together, which better happen in the third book or I will not be pleased.

I will be moving on to Rossi's novella, Roar and Liv because after this book I have to read it. Then it will be straight on to the third book, where I'll probably be crying for the beginning just because it's the end of one of the best series I have ever read. This wasn't the book I was expecting and I found it a little hard going at times because it didn't grip me as much as the first, but I still loved every minute of reading it.

4/5 Stars

I don't think this fell victim to the curse of the sequel, in fact it's a really brilliant book. It was just a little too slow for me at the beginning, whilst the ending felt a little too rushed and like everything happened within a few chapters. The characters are as brilliant as they were in book one and I can't wait to see what's in store for them in book three. 


My Weekly Book Haul: London Haul Edition

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Friday Finds is something that was started over on ShouldBeReading and Stacking the Shelves over at TyngaReviews, I am in love with all of these as I love finding other blogs to follow and books to read through these! So check them all out and see what you find, Stacking the Shelves has a lot of participants as well which is great. This is basically a way for me to show what books I have received, borrowed or bought each week. All book covers and their summary come from back of book or Goodreads.
http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/fridayfinds_bringontheink.png
The London Book Day Edition

Confession: I hate Valentine's Day.
I've been with my boyfriend seven years, and we have never really celebrated that day. We make a big deal of the anniversary of when we got together, but that's about it. I'm lucky, in that, he thinks you should treat the person your with every day of the year, not just one. So, instead of doing flowers or chocolates on Valentines Day, he took me into London on Monday for a day of book buying.
He hates book buying so this we a HUGE DEAL!
He let me look up bookshops online, the best book charity shops and even took me out for dinner. I must admit to messing up and planning the day in advance without checking a calendar. Monday turned out to be my sisters birthday and we had to go home early and missed out a ton of places. I'll definitely be going to all the other shops soon though.
I'll post the books I got but I'm thinking of doing a post on how to do London, book style. So where you can get some great deals, the best charity shops that specialise in books. You get some amazing deals and quite a lot of ARCs get donated. Keep an eye out for that soon.


The London Haul

Most of these I got from Oxfam Bookshops, which are amazing. I got ten books and they only set the boyfriend back £31, which is literally £3.10 per book... AMAZING ;) 


Perfect Ruin by Lauren Destefano
Perfect Ruin (Internment Chronicles, #1)On the floating city of Internment, you can be anything you dream, unless you approach the edge. Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close can lead to madness, like her older brother Len, a Jumper. She takes solace in her best friend Pen, and in Basil, the boy she’s engaged to marry. When she investigates the first murder in a generation, she meets Judas. The suspect was betrothed to the victim, but Morgan believes he is innocent. Nothing can prepare Morgan for the secrets she will find – or whom she will lose.

I've been intrigued by this for a while now and as it was in perfect condition, and only £3, I had to get it! 

Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma

HurtAt seventeen, Matheo Walsh is Britain's most promising diving champion. He is wealthy, popular - and there's Lola, the girlfriend of his dreams.
But then there was that weekend. A weekend he cannot bring himself to remember. All he knows is that what happened has changed him.
Matheo is faced with the most devastating choice of his life. Keep his secret, and put those closest to him in terrible danger. Or confess, and lose Lola for ever...

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #1)"Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.
The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things.
When Brimstone called, she always came."

In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.
Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.

Yes, I haven't read it yet. I have had a library copy out for months now and still haven't got to it. Hopefully this will give me the push to finally start the series. 

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

If You Find Me: A NovelCarey is keeping a terrible secret. If she tells, it could destroy her future. If she doesn't, will she ever be free?
For almost as long as she can remember, Carey has lived in the heart of the woods with her drug-addicted mother and six-year-old sister, Jenessa.
Their mother routinely disappears for weeks at a time, leaving the girls to cope alone. Survival is Carey's only priority - until strangers arrive and everything changes...
Thirteen by Tom Hoyle

ThirteenBorn at midnight in London, on the stroke of the new millennium, Adam is the target of a cult that believes boys born on this date must die before the end of their thirteenth year. Twelve boys have been killed so far. Coron, the crazy cult leader, will stop at nothing to bring in his new kingdom. And now he is planning a bombing spectacular across London to celebrate the sacrifice of his final victim: Adam.
The actual physical book is just incredible. It looks incredible, feels incredible and has crossed out numbers, 1-12 along the edge of the pages... I LOVE IT! Let's hope the actual story is just as good.

Crash (Crash, #1)Clash (Crash, #2)   Crush (Crash, #3)
Crash, Clash & Crush by Nicole Williams

outhpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He's got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now. 
Jude's everything she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she's about to find out, is the only thing she's incapable of. 
For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love's about to become the thing that tears them apart.

Up In Flames by Nicole Williams

Up In FlamesElle Montgomery is a good girl. Born and raised in a small town in Washington State, she's always done exactly what she's supposed to and what everyone expects of her. She helps out at the cafe her family owns, and has been dating the pastor's son, Logan, since she was allowed to go on her first date at sixteen. Having just graduated from high school, and knowing that Logan wants to put a ring on her finger and get married as soon possible, Elle feels like her life is already mapped out. Cole Carson's life couldn't be more different. An adrenaline junkie, he has worked as a smokejumper for the past three summers, roaming from town to town following the fires. Cole lives his life day to day and dreads the thought of putting down roots or being tied to one person. 
Following an awkward, embarrassing first meeting, Elle knows she should keep away from Cole and the feelings he ignites in her. And Cole just can't help but pursue Elle, the girl who seems immune to his charms. But as summer heats up, their attraction grows, and as tensions between them run high, Elle and Cole realise that one way or another, they're going up in flames...


The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Harry Potter Companion Books, #3)The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.

Borrowed from Library:



Entangled by Amy Rose Capetta

Entangled (Entangled, #1)Alone was the note Cade knew best. It was the root of all her chords.
Seventeen-year-old Cade is a fierce survivor, solo in the universe with her cherry-red guitar. Or so she thought. Her world shakes apart when a hologram named Mr. Niven tells her she was created in a lab in the year 3112, then entangled at a subatomic level with a boy named Xan.
   Cade’s quest to locate Xan joins her with an array of outlaws—her first friends—on a galaxy-spanning adventure. And once Cade discovers the wild joy of real connection, there’s no turning back.
Haven't heard of this one before, but I fell in love with the cover and it sounds interesting.


Escape Theory by Margaux Froley

Escape TheorySixteen-year-old Devon Mackintosh has always felt like an outsider at Keaton, the prestigious California boarding school perched above the Pacific. As long as she’s not fitting in, Devon figures she might as well pad her application to Stanford’s psych program. So junior year, she decides to become a peer counselor, a de facto therapist for students in crisis. At first, it seems like it will be an easy fly-on-the-wall gig, but her expectations are turned upside down when Jason Hutchins (a.k.a. “Hutch”), one of the Keaton’s most popular students, commits suicide. 
 Devon dives into her new role providing support for Hutch’s friends, but she’s haunted by her own attachment to him. The two shared an extraordinary night during their first week freshman year; it was the only time at Keaton when she felt like someone else really understood her.  As the secrets and confessions pile up in her sessions, Devon comes to a startling conclusion: Hutch couldn't have taken his own life. Bound by her oath of confidentiality—and tortured by her unrequited love—Devon embarks on a solitary mission to get to the bottom of Hutch's death, and the stakes are higher than she ever could have imagined.

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt

Skin DeepUgly people don't have feelings. They're not like everyone else. They don't notice if you stare at them and turn away. And if they did notice, it wouldn't hurt them. They're not like real people. Or that's what I used to think. Before I learned...After the car crash that leaves her best friend dead, Jenna is permanently scarred. She struggles to rebuild her life, but every stare in the street, every time she looks in the mirror, makes her want to retreat further from the world. Until she meets Ryan. Ryan's a traveller. When he and his mother moor their narrow boat on the outskirts of a village, she tells him this time it will be different. He doesn't believe her; he can't imagine why this place shouldn't be as unwelcoming as the rest. Until he meets Jenna. But as Jenna and Ryan grow closer, repercussions from the crash continue to reverberate through the community. And then a body is found...

By Any Other Name by Laura Jarratt

By Any Other NameNobody can know the truth—her life depends on it. A tale of family, identity, and trust, about a girl struggling with life in the witness protection program.
I picked up the book and thumbed through the pages. Names in alphabetical order, names with meanings, names I knew, names I'd never heard of. How to pick? Nothing that would stand out, nothing that would link me to the past—those were the instructions. The past. As if everything that had gone before this moment was buried already.
Holly is 15 years old, but she's only been "Holly" for a matter of months. Because of something that happened, she and her family have had to enter witness protection and have all assumed new identities. All, that is, except her sister Katie, who is autistic. Starting at a new school mid-year is hard enough at the best of times, and Holly has no clue who she is anymore. Lonely and angry, she reaches out to friends—new and old. But one wrong move will put all their lives in danger.

After the First Death by Robert Cormier

After The First DeathWho will be the next to die?
They've taken the children. And the son of a general. But that isn't enough.
More horrors must come...
Flame by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Flame (Sky Chasers, #3)Waverly and the other members of the Empyrean have been scattered, and their home ship destroyed. The mission to rescue their parents didn't go quite as planned, and now they're at an even greater disadvantage: trapped with their enemies on the New Horizon, trying to find a way to survive. Will Seth's health hold out long enough to help Waverly topple their enemy? And will Waverly find a way to unite her friends before the final battle? Nothing is certain and every second is a risk in this explosive finale.
Received for Review:


Searching for BeautifulBefore it happened…
Brynn had a group of best friends, a boyfriend who loved her, a growing talent for pottery. She had a life. And then…she had none.
After it happened…
Everything was lost. The boy she now knew never loved her. The friends who felt she betrayed their trust. The new life just beginning to grow inside her.
Brynn believes her future is as empty as her body until Christian, the boy next door, starts coming around. Playing his guitar and pushing her to create art once more. She meets some new friends at the local community center, plus even gets her dad to look her in the eye again…sort of. But letting someone in isn’t as easy as it seems.
Now…
Can Brynn open up her heart to truly find her life’s own beauty, when living for the after means letting go of the before?

This one sounds interesting.
Released: 4th March 2014

Dissonance by Erica O'Rourke 

Dissonance (Dissonance, #1)Delancy Sullivan has always known there’s more to reality than what people see. Every time someone makes a choice, a new, parallel world branches off from the existing one. Eating breakfast or skipping it, turning left instead of right, sneaking out instead of staying in bed ~ all of these choices create an alternate universe in which an echo self takes the road not travelled and makes the opposite decision. As a Walker, someone who can navigate between these worlds, Del’s job is to keep all of the dimensions in harmony.
Normally, Del can hear the dissonant frequency that each world emits as clear as a bell. But when a training session in an off-key world goes horribly wrong, she is forbidden from Walking by the Council. But Del’s not big on following the rules and she secretly starts to investigate these other worlds. Something strange is connecting them and it’s not just her random encounters with echo versions of the guy she likes, Simon Lane.
But Del’s decisions have unimaginable consequences and, as she begins to fall for the Echo Simons in each world, she draws closer to a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide ~ a secret that threatens the fate of the entire multiverse.

I love the cover! Plus... PARALLEL WORLDS!
Released: 22nd July 2014

Now and Forever
Now and Forever by Susane Colasanti 

What if your boyfriend was the world's biggest rockstar?
Sterling is crazy in love with Ethan. Not only is he the sweetest boy she's ever met, but he's an incredibly talented guitarist, singer, and songwriter. And since forever, he's believed he has what it takes to be a star.
When Ethan becomes an overnight sensation, he's thrown head-first into the glam world of celebrity-and so is Sterling. Before she knows it, she's attending red-carpet premieres, getting free designer clothes, and flying around the country to attend Ethan's monumental sold-out concerts.
It's a dream come true...but whose dream is Sterling living? And what do you do when "forever" comes to an end?

I think I have only read one book by this author, and I didn't really enjoy it. But, I keep hearing really great things and I couldn't help myself giving this one a go.
Released: 20th May 2014



Current Giveaways

I am taking part in the Valentine's Day Giveaway, hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. For all the details, go here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


I'm also doing a giveaway where three winners will will £10 Amazon GC.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Be sure to leave a link to your own STS post!

Giveaway: Valentine's Day Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway!

Kindle Fire Valentines
Win a Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)   This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER GIVEAWAY EVENT! Bloggers & Authors have joined together and each chipped in a little money towards a Kindle Fire HDX 7" (or $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash).
All New Kindle Fire HDX 7" Giveaway
The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HDX (US Only - $229 Value)
  Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)
  Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)
      Giveaway Sponsors
  Sign up to sponsor the next Kindle Fire Giveaway: http://www.iamareader.com/category/kindle-giveaway-sign-ups   Giveaway Details 1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7" HDX (US Only - $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International). There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7". Ends 3/16/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi: Review

Under The Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1)Title: Under The Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: Atom
Buy This Book: Book Depository


WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.
DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.
Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.
Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.
If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.


The basics: When Aria sneaks into an off limits part of the pod with friends, she is only looking for information about her mother and why she is missing. But a fire quickly spreads, killing all but Soren, the son of the Director of Security and Aria, who only survives with the help of an Outsider. Aria is blamed for the fire and is forced to leave the pod, where she is certain to die thanks to savage Outsiders and the dangerous Aether sky. But she is discovered by Perry, the Outsider who helped her escape the fire, who needs her help to get his nephew back. Together they must make their way to Bliss, the pod where Aria hopes to find her mother alive and well and where they can bargain for Perry's nephew back.

First I want to start by talking about how much I adore the characters in this book. I recently read a two part series where I didn't feel like I knew any of the characters, and felt no connection to them. It was so nice to read a book where I felt like I got to know all the characters, however important or unimportant they were to the story. Aria was a brilliant character, I loved watching her change over time as she struggled with the outside world and how it affected her. She really grows as a character, at first she's so scared and unsure of the world around her but she grows stronger over time and tries to learn to take care of herself.

Perry, to me, was an amazing male lead and I think I fell for him myself. He is a rarity on the Outside, having two Senses when most only have one. He is a Seer, which means he has keener sight than your average person, and he's also a Scire, which means he can scent peoples tempers, how they are feeling. He's a really complex character, he's angry, hurting and not happy to have to bring Aria with him. But, on the other hand, when he's around those he likes he becomes a completely different person.

Even secondary characters were well developed and had me caring and loving them almost straight away. Roar, who's a friend of Perry's, was a character that I really loved and I hope we see more of him in book two. He was funny and witty and I found myself laughing at his jokes. Cinder, a boy who comes along with Roar, was also a character that I really came to care for and I want to see more of him in book two.

The romance in this was handled really well and I definitely found it believable. It was something that built up gradually and there is definitely no insta-love or pointless love triangles to be found in this. When Perry and Aria first find each other he thinks she stinks and she thinks he's a bloodthirsty 'savage' - not exactly insta-love material. But, trust me, the 'awwwww' factor really ramps up over time and I found myself smiling at these two. This is a romance that you can swoon at, in my opinion at least.

The pacing in this was brilliant and I never found myself bored or feeling like I wanted to skim any of it. It held my attention the whole time and made me want to keep reading well into the night. I found the writing was brilliant and the descriptions of the Aether were beautiful to me. A lot of the story is literally Aria and Perry walking together, and yet I was gripped the whole time and completely entertained.

I usually like to mention something that I disliked about the book, but I honestly have nothing to complain about. The writing and pacing was perfect for me, I kind of wanted the book to last forever. The romance was beautiful and I found myself awwing, smiling and swooning along with the characters. Every character, from one who's only in this for a chapter to the main characters, was well developed, felt like they had their own recognisable voice and I got to know them all. If I had to think of one thing, it would be how Perry can smell everything - like Aria's first period, is it just me or is that really weird and totally unromantic? To add a cherry on top of all the awesomeness that was this book, the ending was uplifting, hopeful and leaves it open for the sequel, that I hope will be just as amazing as the first.

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1)
I have the wonderful people of the blogosphere to thank for this wonderful read. I'd avoided it for so long because of the ugly original UK cover, but also because I thought I had tried it before and didn't like it - I was wrong, by the way, it was a completely different book! It was absolutely incredible and I loved every minute of reading it. I will be moving straight on to book two!


5/5 Stars

I can't fault it. The story is solid, the writing is beautiful, I adored the characters.

Plus, Aria and Perry: