Saturday 29 November 2014

Review: Ruination

Review of Ruination
by Amanda Thorne:
 


My Thoughts:
Some minor spoilers in this review.

There were a lot of things in Ruination that just didn't work for me. I don't know if it due to the pretty shitty mood I am in at the moment - its exam week, and I am under a lot of pressure - but I think it more the fact the fact that I honestly didn't enjoy this.

So what went wrong?

I cannot really pinpoint it to one thing. The romance was one of the most prominent issues however. I am not a fan of love triangles, especially unnecessary ones, and this has a unnecessary love triangle. I think it would have worked better if one of the boys had a romantic connection with Nessa and the other was just a friend. I don't see why they both had to fight over her! It created drama that didn't need to be there. Also I wasn't a huge fan of Garrett or Tyson in the first place so their instalove "connections" or pining failed to pull my at my heartstrings. The kissing scenes were also a little awkward. The descriptions used the word "wet" (as in salvia) way too many times for my liking. It didn't sound romantic at all!

Luckily, the rest of the writing wasn't too shabby. However, the same cannot be said about the pacing of the book - it was shocking! The beginning was way too slow - there were far too many explanations and not enough action - then the rest of the book was rushed. Entire months would go past in the space of a short chapter. Planning missions and training took no time at all. The story felt constricted. It could have easily been spread nicely across two books.

The actually plot itself was dry. I didn't feel the connection to it. The government was supposedly evil but I don't understand why it was. I understand that it did some nasty things - allegedly - but why would it shoot its own citizens? Why would it pretend they were at war? Why does it "control" its citizens? What happened in the past to cause this dystopian environment to arise? I need these answers if I am to get emotionally invested into a series. Otherwise I am just left wondering... and wondering.

Also I know this isn't going to be a nice thing to say, but I feel like it has to be said: this was practically a Hunger Games rip off. It wasn't as bad as
Victoria Scott's Fire & Flood as it was much subtler, but I was way too similar regardless. The love triangle, the surviving in woods, the rebellion, the younger sister connection and sacrificing for, the best friend who has to stay behind, falling in love with the survival mate, the government pretending for the cameras... I couldn't stop comparing it and I don't like feeling that way.

In the end, I just didn't like this book. It was far too clichéd and poorly portrayed. I think that the author could make it work though - some more editing, some slight changes to the plotline and decent characters and this could maybe work.

Note: a copy was provided courtesy of Amanda Thome through YA Buddy Readers' Group in exchange for an honest review. No compensation was given or taken during this process.

 
 
Details:
 
First Line: Emma's spending her first night in this world howling inconsolably.
 
Series: Worlds Apart #1
Publication: April 5th 2014
Source: Amanda Thorne (author)
 
 2 star

If you enjoyed this,
you might enjoy:
 
 
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Acid by Emma Pass
Divergent by Veronica Roth
 

Thursday 27 November 2014

The TBR Tag

The TBR Tag

I was tagged in this challenge by the newest blogger on the block, Erica @ Diving Under the Cover. Thanks for the nomination! You can check out her post here.
 
 
How do you keep track of you TBR pile?
 
Goodreads. I honestly have no idea what I would do without that site! I used to have a little notebook that I could write in, but it was too fiddly and not worth it.
 
Is your TBR mostly print or ebooks?
 
I reckon about fifty-fifty at the moment - not including Amazon freebies.
 
How do you determine which book from your TBR pile to read next?
 
I normally read whatever read-to-review book I have due next or a book that suits the current month's challenge.
 
A book that been on your TBR pile the longest?
 
 
A book you recently added to your TBR pile?
 
 

A book on your TBR simply because of its beautiful cover?
 
 
A book on your TBR you never plan on reading?
 
I had to watch the movie for school and I wasn't a fan. I added the book to my TBR because I am tempted to see where the idea for the movie came from but I doubt I'll ever get around to actually reading it.
 
 
An unpublished book on your TBR you are excited for?
 
 

A book on your TBR list that everyone always recommends to you?
 
 
A book on your TBR list that you are dying to read?

 
How many books on your GBR TBR? 
 
I have a lot... its roughly 1600 at the moment!!
 
 
What is on your TBR list next? Do we have any books in common? Let me know in the comments down below.
As always feel free to consideration yourself tagged if you want to participate in this challenge. Please leave a link back to me if you do though, or leave me a link to you answers regardless. I would love to read what you thought.

My official tag is going to be Izzy @ The Reading Izzy
 
and Katie @ Kittens and Books.

Monday 24 November 2014

Creatures of the Night Tag

Creatures of the Night Tag


My favourite vlogger Katytastic designed her own tag awhile ago and I have decided to give it a go myself. I did change it however; instead of just saying a book I have read with the particular paranormal creature in it, I listed my favourite books with those creatures in them.

This is almost my way of recommending some paranormal books to you guys. If you know some other books that you think I might enjoy please feel free to comment!
 
Check out her video here,
and also Christine's video @ polandbananasBOOKS
and Jesse's video @ Jessethereader. 
 


Vampire
 
 


Werewolf
 


Zombie
 

 
Ghost
  
 


 Wizard, Witch, Warlock, Sorcerer, Spellcaster etc.
 


 
Fairy / Faery / the Fae etc.
 
 
Demon
 


Angel
 
 
Alien
 
 
Super-Powered Humans
 



 
Gods/Demigods
 
 

I am going to add two of my own categories - water creatures and dragons.
 
Water Creatures (Mermaids, Nymphs etc.)
 
 
Dragons
 
 
*******
 
What did you think of this? I hope you were able to discover some new books to check out. I would recommend all of them, obviously, so I hope something to your tastes there. 

Let me know what you thought in the comments below. Feel free to consideration yourself tagged if you want to participate in this challenge. Please leave a link back to me if you do though!

My official tag is going to be anyone is particular since I wasn't tagged in this myself! :)