7 Souls by Barnabas Miller & Jordan Orlando

Title: 7 Souls

Author: Barnabas Miller and Jordan Orlando

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher:  Penguin

Publication Date: 28th March 2011

ISBN: 9780143206255

Stand alone or series: Stand Alone

Pages: 384 pages

Book Received from: Penguin

First Lines:  There was the pain, first and last, that booming drumbeat of agony in her head - the kind of pain that made her want to curl up and die.

Synopsis:
Mary expected her seventeenth birthday to be a blowout to remember, courtesy of her best friends, fellow New York City prepsters Amy and Joon, and her doting boyfriend, Trick.

Instead, the day starts badly and gets worse. After waking up in a mortifying place with a massive, unexplainable hangover, Mary soon discovers that nobody at school is even aware that it's her birthday. As evening approaches, paranoia sets in. Mary just can't shake the feeling that someone is out to get her—and, as it turns out, she's right. Before the night is over, she's been killed in cold blood.

But murder is just the beginning of Mary's ordeal. Her soul gets trapped in a strange limbo, and she must relive the day of her death through the eyes of seven people—each of whom, she finds, had plenty of reasons to hate her. As Mary explores the mysteries of her world, discovering secrets that were hidden in plain sight while she was alive, she clings desperately to the hope that she can solve her own murder, change the past, and—just maybe—save her own life.

My Thoughts:
When I received this book I hadn't heard much in the blogosphere about it.  So I jumped onto Good Reads and did my best to skim through a few spoiler free reviews to find out what I was in for.  I will try my best to steer clear of the story itself as it's better to go in not knowing too much.

The first chapter hooked me in.  I was at work when I started reading and I didn't want to put it down when I got to the part where she woke up, realising she is in a bedroom display window.  Naked!

I'm actually in two minds about how I feel about this book though.  I really liked the story but I disliked the characters.  Mary was the exception, BUT at the beginning it doesn't take too long to work out that she is one of the popular girls, always in the spotlight and using everybody to get what she wants.  That being said, I did really warm up to her and by the end of the book I actually felt sorry for her.  I liked Dylan out of the other characters that populate the book but that would have to be it.

I hate to compare some books to others but 7 Souls is alot like Before I fall.  There were characters I disliked in both novels but I really enjoyed both stories.

I don't think this book is for everyone though.  I've seen the reviews on Goodreads and it is a toss up between loved it and hated it.  I'm in the middle. 

See for yourself.  If you've read this tell me what you think?  Why you liked it or disliked it.  I'd love to hear your opinions. Just remember to be careful with spoilers for those who haven't read this yet.

Waiting on Wednesday (53)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I can't believe I almost missed this one.  I loved Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr and have been waiting so long for the fourth book to come out.  I spotted Inheritance by Christopher Paolini on another blogger's sight and had to include this one on this weeks WOW.  It's out in 8th November 2011.
 

Synopsis
Not so very long ago, Eragon Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaesia? And if so, at what cost?p

This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Between Shades of Gray

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher:  Penguin

Publication Date: 28th March 2011

ISBN: 9780143205418

Stand alone or series: Stand Alone

Pages: 360 pages

Book Received from: Penguin (Proof Copy)

First Lines: They took me in my nightgown.  Thinking back, the signs were there - family photos burned in the fireplace, Mother sewing her best silver and jewelry into the lining of her coat late at night, and Papa not returning from work.

Synopsis:
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

My Thoughts:
I'll admit right now I wasn't one to listen to history or anything like that when this sort of stuff was taught at school.  To be completely honest, I don't even remember anything like this being taught.  I was a bit skeptical when I read the synopsis because I wasn't sure how I was going to feel but once I picked it up and read chapter one I was completely absorbed in Lina's life.  I really liked the timeline and map at the beginning of the novel. 

From when Lina, her brother and their mother are taken from their home and herded onto train carriages along with many others and squeezed inside like sardines I knew this was going to be a heart wrenching story.

The story is written beautifully and I almost felt like I was standing there amongst them, feeling and seeing what they saw.  I also loved that throughout the book there are flashbacks to Lina's life giving glimpses of what normal life was like before they were taken away.  Another thing I liked was how Lina stuck with her drawings and record keeping of what happened while in the concentration camps, even though it was forbidden.  Such a big risk to take.

Between Shades of Gray is a heartbreaking novel about the survival of a girl and her family, enduring horrendous conditions and circumstances but still being able to maintain that little spark of hope.  This is definitely an eye opener.

Book Jacket Giveaway!

Thank you to the lovely Chas @ LovLivLife Reviews who made this awesome book jacket for a giveaway on my blog!!  The Pics are below!

 

(Books in pic above are NOT included)

For your chance to win this fantastic book cover please comment below.  Chas will pick a winner when the competition is over!

Deadline is: 4th April 2011

Just a note: please either leave your email in the comments below or have some way for me to contact you if you have won.

In My Mailbox (54)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

The Summoner by Layton Green

Just a small one for this week but still exciting! What did you get in your IMM?

Spellbound Noticeboard (7)

Welcome to Spellbound Noticeboard. Here is where Authors, Bloggers and others can send in anything that you'd like promoted. Competitions, book releases, blog events etc. This is your spot! So feel free to send me a line if you have anything book related (Including books made into movies) and I'll be sure to post these up! I'll also be including features etc that I come across to help spread the word for other Authors and bloggers! Just email me at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com

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Available now from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group is Alyson Noël's second release in her new and wonderfully received  'Radiance' Series, 'Shimmer'.

Alyson Noël, author of the Immortals series, continues her new series about Ever's younger sister, Riley.

Having solved the matter of the Radiant Boy, Riley, Buttercup, and Bodhi are enjoying a well-deserved vacation. When Riley comes across a vicious black dog, against Bodhi's advice, she decides to cross him over. While following the dog, she runs into a young ghost named Rebecca. Despite Rebecca's sweet appearance, Riley soon learns she's not at all what she seems. As the daughter of a former plantation owner, she is furious about being murdered during a slave revolt in 1733. Mired in her own anger, Rebecca is lashing out by keeping the ghosts who died along with her trapped in their worst memories. Can Riley help Rebecca forgive and forget without losing herself to her own nightmarish memories?

Find out more about Shimmer here, including audio excerpts and Riley's diary:

http://www.alysonnoel.com/radiance/shimmer.php

Link to trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZqW7rJyvDU

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Don't miss out on a chance to win a free copy of Somewhere Over the Sun.  This is an awesome book!
Please click on the link for more information - Somewhere Over the Sun Website

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That's all from me for the moment.  I appologise for the late post as I've been feeling under the weather.  I'm hoping to have some reviews posted up soon. 

Waiting on Wednesday (52)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!


This week I've picked Void: Shadows; Ghosts by Rhiannon Lassiter.  This book won't be out until 15th November 2011.
 

Synopsis:
The CPS, a secret government agency, is on a mission to seek and destroy the Hex - human mutants with supercomputer minds. They are young. They look like normal teens. They must never be allowed to grow up.
 
But the CPS hasn't discovered Raven. Soon they will feel her power and know her rage.

Raven and her brother, Wraith, must use Raven’s Hex powers and Wraith’s street skills to save first their long-lost sister, and then the entire Hex community. But before they start, Raven must overcome her mantra: work alone and think only of herself. Even then the challenges don't stop as they must crack the top-secret and high-tech security of the CPS, ally with a political-terrorist group, and then ultimately take down the evil European Federation.
And even the best laid plans can go awry.