REVIEW 'I Am a Dalek' by Gareth Roberts (A Doctor Who Quick Reads Novel)

'I Am a Dalek' by Gareth Roberts

Goodreads Synopsis:

"Equipped with space suits, golf clubs and a flag, the Doctor and Rose are planning to live it up, Apollo mission-style, on the Moon. But the TARDIS has other plans, landing them instead in a village on the south coast of England; a picture-postcard sort of place where nothing much happens. Until now...

An archaeological dig has turned up a Roman mosaic, circa AD 70, depicting mythical scenes, grapes and a Dalek. A few days later a young woman, rushing for work, is knocked over and killed by a bus, then comes back to life.

It's not long before all hell breaks loose, and the Doctor and Rose must use all their courage and cunning against an alien enemy and a not-quite-alien accomplice who are intent on destroying humanity."

Hello Elementareaders!

My 8 year old nephew gave me this book that he found at a second-hand sale because he knows I love Doctor Who. He's such a sweetie! Anyway, I read it the day he gave it to me and I'm going to write a little review.

'I Am a Dalek' is a Doctor Who Quick Reads novel. Quick Reads books are only 100 pages long and a designed to get people into reading by being short and not too daunting. I'm pretty sure this book was written for children but I enjoyed it all the same.

My favourite Doctor/Companion combo is Ten/Rose so it's awesome to get more stories with these two characters. The book opens with Rose and The Doctor in the TARDIS about to land on the Moon. However, it's never that simple in Doctor Who and they end up in an English pub. Before they can figure out why the TARDIS took them there the doors close and The Doctor is whisked away, leaving Rose behind. Rose spots a newspaper with a picture of a mosaic on the front, and on the mosaic is a “familiar pepperpot shape. Three rods stuck out from it; an eye-stalk from the dome of its head, a sucker attachment and a gun from its middle. Its lower half was studded with shining circular shapes. A Dalek.” ('I Am a Dalek' p7)

This is such a great little Doctor Who story. I loved how the Dalek begins as an empty shell, then it is given life and a new Dalek grows inside. It was fun reading how the Dalek matured (very quickly!) and the weaknesses it had when it was first ‘born’.

I would definitely recommend this book to kids and adults alike! It would be great for getting kids into reading as the language is simple and the story easy to follow. But I honestly think a Who fan of any age would enjoy it.

I would give this book 4 stars :)

Let me know in the comments if you’re a fellow Whovian! Who’s your favourite Doctor/Companion combination? 

Places to buy:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The Book Depository

Follow Gareth Roberts on:

Goodreads

Allons-y!

REVIEW 'Strings' by Kat Green

'Strings' by Kat Green




Goodreads Synopsis:

"The rise of the Black Eagles was meteoric, from band practice in the garage to global stars almost overnight. And Melissa Webb, the beautiful girlfriend of the front man, appeared to have it all. But when Luke Black disappears without a trace and Melissa wakes up in a hospital bed after a savage attack, her perfect world is shattered and their lives are plunged into a potentially deadly crisis. Where is Luke, and can he be found before it is too late?"







Hey there Elementareaders!

Kat Green very kindly sent me a digital copy of her novel 'Strings' to review and I absolutely loved it!

'Strings' is a romance/thriller based around a rock band called The Black Eagles. It opens with Melissa, girlfriend of the lead singer, in hospital after a brutal attack. Her boyfriend, Luke is missing. Melissa is telling the police what happened, and through her we get the whole story of how they met and how The Black Eagles rose to fame. Melissa and her best friend Beth met the band when they were still unknown and playing in pubs. After meeting the band backstage after the show Melissa and Beth are welcomed into the group, Beth also dating one of the band, Dale. The girls also meet Amber that night, a crazed fan who it turns out had a one night stand with Luke and is now obsessed with him.

The book is comprised of flashbacks of Melissa's story, interspersed with scenes of present-day Melissa in the hospital. I think this format worked really well as we are hit full blast with the thriller storyline right at the beginning which grips the reader from page one, then we get the romance and rock band story throughout. This format is also really great for letting the reader piece together what happened with the attack and I felt like I was part of the story, working out the mystery alongside the police.

I know nothing of how the music business works and am not the sort of person who goes to lots of gigs, but I found this book very interesting an learned a lot about how musicians can get their big break and what happens afterwards with the record labels. It's both entertaining and informative! This book also emphasises on how the media can cause problems by making things up for a story and how troublesome the paparazzi can be for bands and their friends.

The books ends (this isn't a spoiler, I promise!) with the conclusion to the thriller part and I thought the ending was just perfect. It is so well written and so easy to read that it's really hard to put it down. The characters are all so rounded and well written that I really cared about all of them and wanted to read about their lives. So much so that I was disappointed when I came to the end, and wanted to read more about how they dealt with the aftermath of the attack!

This was such a great debut novel from Kat and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work in the future. In fact, this book was so good that I've ordered a signed paperback copy from Kat's blog! You can buy your own signed copy HERE.

I also highly recommend checking out Kat's blog 'Inside the Mind of Kat Green' for character interviews, info on the soundtrack and general updates. She also does reviews and other great posts. You can find her blog HERE.

I would give this book 5 stars :)

Let me know in the comments if you've read this book or are planning to. This is such a great read and I highly recommend it!

Places to buy:

Kat's blog for a signed copy!

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Follow Kat Green on:

Her Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Liebster Award: Discover new blogs!

The Liebster Award is a great little networking tag for bloggers to let their followers get to know them better and discover new and exciting blogs. I was nominated by Ashton over at Beauty, Books and Babble (a really great blog that you should check out!)

Here are the rules:

Link the person that nominated you.

Answer all the questions given.

Nominate 11 other blogs with less than 200 bloglovin followers.

Create 11 questions for the nominees to answer.

Notify all the other nominees through social media/their blog.

I'm still pretty new to the blogging world and don’t really know many blogs yet but I’ll be nominating a few that I've come across recently and really like.

Here are the questions that Ashton asked me:

1. What do you enjoy about blogging?

I think it's just a really neat idea to get my thoughts and review out there on the internet for others to (hopefully) enjoy. I've been writing book reviews for a few years now, but never thought to create a blog before this year. I wish I'd done it sooner because I'm really enjoying it. Also, I think it'll be really nice to look back on my blog many years from now and see what I was reading back then :)

2. Is there a book you've recently read that sticks in your mind?

There's 3 (is that cheating :p). The Iron-Jawed Boy series by Nikolas Lee. Nikolas approached me on Goodreads last year to read and review his books and they really are brilliant! 'The Iron-Jawed Boy', 'The Hand of the Moon' and 'The Siege of Sol' are a middle-grade fantasy series and they are so freaking good! I'm planning on writing a blog post about them soon.

3. What's your favourite thing to eat?

Crisps. I definitely prefer savoury food to sweet and would pick a bag of crisps over chocolate any day!

4. Do you have an odd or surprising hobby?

I'm into amateur dramatics and am a member of a few local groups. I've done a few pantomimes and plays over the past few years but I've kind of drifted away from it at the moment. Hoping to get back into acting soon :) 

5. If I told you to plan a holiday where money is no issue, where would you go?

New York! It's number 1 on my places I want to visit list. I would also really like to visit Rome and Athens. 

6. Wild nights on the town or cosy nights in with pyjamas?

Nights in every time. I'm not really one for going out and would rather stay home with a cup of tea and a good book :)

7. Are there any TV series you're addicted to, current or past?

At the moment I'm really loving The 100, Elementary and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. As for past series, I love Stargate and Firefly. I'm a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy so I'll pretty much love anything under those genres :)

8. Do you have a plan in case of a zombie apocalypse?

I don't personally but some of my work colleagues have come up with a plan. So if the zombie apocalypse begins while I'm at work then I should be ok :p

9. If you could only use one make-up item, what would it be?

I don't really wear much make-up but if I could only pick one then it would be concealer.

10. Summer or winter?

Winter, so long as I don't have to go outside! I love nothing more than being snuggled up in a blanket with a book :)

11. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

I honestly don't know how to answer that... :p

The blogs that I am going to nominate are:
The Candid Cover
Bookshelf Battle
Never Ending Books
Girl in the Pages
Disquietus Reads

Not quite 11 blogs, but oh well! :)

The questions I would like you to answer are:
1. Why did you start blogging?
2. Is there are book or series that you love to re-read over and over again?
3. If you were stuck on a desert island and could only pick 3 things to have with you, what would they be?
4. Do you have any pets?
5. What is the best book you've read so far this year?
6. How did you come up with the name for your blog?
7. What's your favourite smell?
8. Book or Kindle?
9. Any favourite book quotations?
10. If you had a pet dragon, what would you name it?
11. And finally, tell me a strange or unusual fact about yourself!

I look forward to reading all your answers :)

REVIEW 'Pretties' by Scott Westerfeld

'Pretties' by Scott Westerfeld

Goodreads Synopsis:

"Gorgeous. Popular. Perfect.

Perfectly wrong.

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.

Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive."

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS SERIES ‘UGLIES’

My review for ‘Uglies’ by Scott Westerfeld can be found HERE

Hello Elementareaders!

As I mentioned above, this review contains spoilers for ‘Uglies’, so if you haven’t read that then I wouldn't advise reading on.

In 'Uglies' Tally finds out that the operation to make people Pretty creates brain lesions, abnormalities that make them pretty-minded as well as pretty-looking. They are basically manipulating people's brains to make them more docile and less likely to make the same mistakes as the Rusties, and end up destroying the world.

At the end of the previous book The Smoke has been destroyed and all but Tally and David have been taken back to the city by Special Circumstances. By the time Tally and David go to rescue them, Shay has already had the operation and David's father Az has been killed in an experimental operation to try and alter his memories. They manage to rescue Maddy (David's mother), Croy, Astrix, Ryde and the newly-pretty Shay. Hiding out back at the Rusty Ruins, Maddy thinks she has come up with a cure that will get rid of the brain lesions and allow Pretties to think clearly again. Shay refuses to take the cure and Maddy is unwilling to test it on someone without their consent, so Tally decides to go back to the city and give herself up, in order to be turned so that she can then be rescued and they can test the cure on her.

At the beginning of this book Tally is a Pretty and is living in New Pretty Town. Tally is trying to come up with an outfit for a party she is going to that evening when she gets a ping from Shay saying that the dress code has been changed from semi-formal to costume. Tally is hoping to get voted into the Crims, one of the most popular cliques in New Pretty Town and wants to dress to impress. Tally and Shay decide to go as Smokies, the most criminal costume they can think of.

During this book Tally and Zane, one of the Crims, take any opportunity to try and make themselves feel 'bubbly'. Whilst they are feeling bubbly they basically have a clearer head and start remembering things from their ugly days, thus making the brain lesions have a lesser effect on them. In one particularly bubbly moment Tally and Zane find two pills left for Tally by Croy which are Maddy's cure to the lesions. Not knowing they are supposed to be taken together, Tally and Zane take one each which leaves them both feeling very bubbly indeed.

I like how in this book we get to see the city from an entirely new perspective. 'Uglies' was very much set in the world of Uglyville and The Smoke and we only got a glimpse of New Pretty Town, but this book is almost entirely set there. Tally is very much trying to shake off the pretty-mindedness and become herself again. It's almost like she’s back at square one trying to remember what happened in The Smoke and what the Specials have done to them.

I liked Tally's continuing character development in this book. There are some great new characters as well, especially Zane and Fausto. We also get to see a bit more of Peris in this book which was nice. There was a very predictable love-triangle between Tally, Zane and David but I felt like it wasn't just there for the sake of having a love-triangle in a YA novel. I think it helped with Tally’s character development as it is touched upon that she doesn't feel the same way about David because time has passed, not because Zane is a pretty.

I think this was a great second instalment to this series and I can’t wait to see where it goes in ‘Specials’.

I would give this book 4 stars :)

Let me know your thoughts about this series in the comments!

Places to buy:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The Book Depository

Audible.com

Follow Scott Westerfeld on:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Blog

REVIEW 'Uglies' by Scott Westerfeld

'Uglies' by Scott Westerfeld

Goodreads Synopsis:

"Tally can't wait to turn sixteen and become pretty. Sixteen is the magic number that brings a transformation from repellent Ugly into a stunningly attractive Pretty, and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks, Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend, Shay, isn't sure she wants to be Pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the Pretty world - and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn Pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever."




Hi Elementareaders!

‘Uglies’ by Scott Westerfeld is the first book in the ‘Uglies Quartet’ series. It is set in a dystopian future where humans have altered themselves with surgery to become the perfect biological idea of beautiful. On their sixteenth birthday, ‘Uglies’ undergo the surgery to become ‘Pretties’. They go through three operations in their lives; the first makes them a ‘New Pretty’, the second a ‘Middle Pretty’ and the third ‘Crumblies’.

Tally Youngblood is three months away from turning sixteen and is looking forward to having her operation and joining the other Pretties in New Pretty Town. She is the youngest in her group of friends and her best friend Peris has already become pretty. But while sneaking into New Pretty Town to see Peris, Tally meets Shay, another Ugly and they quickly become good friends.

But Shay has a secret. She doesn't want to become Pretty and is going to run away to The Smoke, a civilisation outside the city where no-one has the operation. Before she goes, she leaves Tally a series of cryptic clues to find The Smoke in case Tally decides to follow her.

Tally goes for her operation anyway but she is blackmailed by a group of Cruel Pretties called Special Circumstances who say that she won’t get her operation until she follows Shay to The Smoke and discloses its location to them. Tally is desperate to be Pretty so she goes, but she discovers that life in The Smoke isn't all bad, and maybe she wants to stay Ugly after all…

When I first read the blurb for this book it struck me as a seriously terrifying vision of the future. I love dystopian books and this society sounded like a very interesting (and scary!) version of how the future could pan out. Nowadays, there is a lot of pressure on young girls and boys to look ‘good’. Many young girls aspire to look perfect in the eyes of others. This book really grabbed onto that idea and developed it into a horrifying realisation of what could happen if modern society continues on the way it is. I think the scariest thing about this is that it’s only set 300 years into the future from now. The Uglies have grown up with it drilled into their heads that everyone who isn't perfect is ugly, giving them low self-esteem and making them look forward to the day when it is their time to turn.

I love Tally’s character development throughout the novel. In the beginning her life goal is very much to turn pretty and party over in New Pretty town with Peris. But when she goes out to The Smoke she finds out something about the operation that alters her opinion of it. She also meets David who was born outside the city, and she starts to believe that not everyone needs to turn Pretty to be beautiful.

I'm very much looking forward to how Tally’s character develops further over the next 3 books in this series.

I would give this book 4 stars :)

Have you read this series? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Places to buy:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The Book Depository

Audible.com

Follow Scott Westerfeld on:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Blog

'Loot Crate' January 2015 - Unboxing & Review

Hey there Elementareaders!

I know this is a little late as we're way in to February now... (whoops!) but here is my Loot Crate unboxing and review for January 2015 :)

What is Loot Crate?
Loot Crate is a monthly subscription service where you receive a box of awesome geek and gaming items. It is based in America but they ship to many countries including the UK. For someone in the UK the box costs $29.95 a month which usually works out at just under £20 (it varies slightly depending on the current exchange rate). Shipping is included in this cost. The items you receive add up to $40+ retail value, and each box usually has some exclusive items that you can only get in a Loot Crate. By subscribing you are also entered into a draw each month for a chance to win the Mega Crate which usually has a $ value in the thousands. Each month's box has a theme. This month's theme was 'Rewind'. The crates are usually posted around the 20th of each month.

January 2015 Crate
Here's what I got in my January 2015 crate and what I thought of it.

This is what I saw when I opened the box.

First thing I noticed was this t-shirt. I think it's really great that Loot Crate do t-shirts in a women's fit as well as standard men's sizes. When you sign up you select your size so you are always sent the correct size when there is a t-shirt in the box.

Not gonna lie, I didn't have a clue what this was supposed to be so I had to look in the magazine. The design is a blueprint from Voltron which I've never actually watched, but this looks pretty cool anyway :)

Next thing I spotted was this black box. It contains a skinny tie from Black Tie Geek which has a pretty cool Space Invaders design.

Ok, I don't have a clue what this is supposed to be. The magazine describes it as a '10-Doh! Figure' but to be honest I don't really get it or see the point of it. This item was a bit meh...

Next was this funky pair of sunglasses. Not too sure about the colour but I like the design!

Next up was this really cool Comic Notebook. It's set out for you to draw your own little comic and includes stencils for speech bubbles. I thought this was a really great idea. I'm a comic book fan so I really liked this item :)

Lastly was this Star Wars Comic. This was my favourite item out of the whole box. I love comics and I'm a huge Star Wars geek. This cover was also a Loot Crate Exclusive variant which is pretty awesome!

Also in the box was the box was the magazine explaining what all the items are and the monthly theme badge with 'Rewind' on it.

I have to admit that I wan't all that impressed with this month's box. I likes the notebook and the Star Wars comic but the rest wasn't all that great. This is the first time I haven't loved it though, so hopefully next month's crate will be better!

If you want to sign up for your own Loot Crate you can do HERE. 

Do any of you get Loot Crate? What was your favourite item out of January's box? Let me know in the comments :)

REVIEW 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky

'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky

Goodreads Synopsis:

"Charlie is a freshman.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his year yet socially awkward,he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up."

Hello Elementareaders!

I don't think it’s possible to read ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and not fall in love with Charlie. He’s just the sweetest most honest character I've ever read.

I saw the film when it came out a couple of years ago and I absolutely loved it. The book almost read like a novelisation of the film, but not one of those ones that just states what happened with no elaboration, it was like a very descriptive and more fleshed out version of the film. I think this is largely due to the fact that the author of this novel, Stephen Chbosky also wrote the screenplay and directed the film.

‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ is a coming of age story that centres around Charlie and his first year of high school. The novel is written like a series of letters that Charlie is writing to his friend (the reader) about his experiences during that year.

Charlie is a bit of a loner. He is not unpopular and bullied, but he isn't popular either. He makes the transition to high school having no friends. He is essentially a wallflower, socially awkward and very much the type of person to sit back and listen rather than get involved. Charlie becomes close with his English teacher who encourages him to ‘participate’, a sentiment which Charlie very much takes to heart. Whilst trying to ‘participate’ by going to a football game, Charlie meets Patrick and Sam, a brother and sister who are seniors and becomes good friends with them.

Charlie is accepted into their social group and suddenly finds himself being invited to parties, and falling in love with the beautiful Sam even though she has said that he is too young for her and told him not to think of her that way.

Throughout the book Charlie really grows as a person. He has his first girlfriend (a not altogether pleasant experience for him), goes to parties, smokes, drinks and really finds out what it is like to be part of a social group. He also experiences heartbreak when all his friends graduate at the end of the year leaving him alone again.

I really like how this book is written as a series of letters through the eyes of this young boy. We really see him mature throughout the novel and the character development is just spot on. It really feels like it has been written by a high school student and is such an enjoyable read. The character all feel so real and I fell in love with and cared about them all.

I would give this book 5 stars :)

Let me know your thoughts about this book in the comments!

Places to buy:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The Book Depository

Audible.com

Follow Stephen Chbosky on:

Twitter

Goodreads