Top Ten Tuesday

So this week is a Back to School freebie, and, in celebration of me starting my first year of teacher training (eek!) these are going to be the top ten books (or series) that I would have on my shelf as a teacher.

1. The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa - okay, despite the fact this is still one of my all time favourite series, I feel like this is still a 'child-friendly' series for children to read, mixed with magic and adventure.
2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - this book would be amazing to use during writing lessons to teach children about description and using their imagination.
3. The Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling - I feel like it would be my duty to impart the magic and wisdom of this series onto the next generation. At least get them started with the series with the first couple of books anyway, and with the illustrated editions of the novels coming out, I think they would be great in a classroom.
4. Anything by David Walliams - for those of you who don't know David Walliams is a British comedian who also writes children books. Hilariously absurd, I feel like these would be 'easy reads' for those children who don't like to read.
5. The Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon - younger readers love these books - they find Henry's pranks and schemes hilarious so are always good to have on standby if you're teaching a younger audience.
6. Roald Dahl's books - his children's books have spanned so many generations, it seems wrong to not include them in this list because children and adults alike love this man's genius creations and would also be amazing teaching resources.
7. Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan - while I haven't read these books myself, I know that were originally marketed as a children's book and I think keeping these in the classroom would be a good thing.
8. The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton - this is a book that I adored when I was little and, if I was teaching young children, it would definitely have a place in my classroom, if only for nostalgia's sake!
9. Jacqueline Wilson books - these books were the staple of my childhood and, while she does predominantly write for children, her Girls Out Late book is perfect for teens. They deal with a variety of issues affecting children in a way that they can understand and I still love them, even now.
10. Cherub series by Robert Muchamore - kids become spies in this amazing series. These are quite gritty and deal with 'spy' stuff such as drugs so not a good idea for young readers, but teens will adore this series - I know I did!

So those are the top ten books I would have in my classroom as a teacher (depending on the age range I was teaching)! What would make your list?

Uglies and Pretties by Scott Westerfield

Uglies and Pretties by Scott Westerfield

Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis: Beauty guaranteed, but at what price? Tally can't wait to turn sixteen. Only then will she be able to have an operation to turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and live in New Pretty Town, the high-tech paradise, where her only job will be to have fun. But when Tally finally becomes pretty, everything isn't as perfect as it seems. Underneath all the beauty and luxury is a nagging sense that something is wrong. Very wrong. Searching for the truth, Tally discovers a whole new side of the pretty world - and it isn't very pretty. Now Tally has a choice to make: fight and forget what she knows, or fight for her life.

Review: This is one of the books that I got for Christmas in 2015 (I got so many that I've still got about four left to read!) and is a bind up of the first two books in Scott Westerfield's series. I really enjoyed this book. It's a completely different take on Young Adult dystopia and deals with an issue that is still prominent in today's society. Being 'pretty' and having to look a certain way and do certain things to be popular will always be issues in society because of the many different types of media that we're all exposed to on a daily basis and is a big issue today because of it. I really liked how Scott dealt with this issue in this book, showing how looking the right way can take over your life and become all you think about.

I thought the world was really interesting. Bridges that 'talk' and hoverboards as a mode of transport are all things that I can see becoming a part of our future. I think what was even more interesting was that the world wasn't falling apart. We're not living in an outright totalitarian government like in the Hunger Games and we're not living in the remains of what used to be Chicago like in Divergent. The differences between New Pretty Town and everywhere else are apparent but it was a nice change from most of the YA dystopian books that are popular. I also liked how the world was flawed. Not all the bridges 'talk' and there are ways around the ones that do and hoverboards don't always work. These little flaws added to the plot and kept me engaged from beginning to end.

I loved the idea of the 'lesions'. Being pretty in this world doesn't just change your appearance, it changes how you think as well and again, this mimics real life. Thinking you have to look a certain way can take over your life and changes how you think about things. I thought this was a really good way of explaining this and showing people what happens when you have the chance to be part of the popular crowd.

I really liked the Smoke, I just would have liked to have spent more time there. There's a whole community living out in the wilderness that I wanted to get to know better. We really don't spend much time there in the first two books and I really want to know more about the camp and the people there, though I suppose that will come the further into the series you get. I enjoyed reading about Tally's journey to the Smoke in the first book. Shay's directions were so obscure and neither the reader or Tally knows what's beyond the limits of the town that it was a guessing game for everyone as to where the story was going to go.

The only thing I didn't really like in this was the romance. It just seemed really half-hearted and lack luster and, by the end of reading both books, I'm not invested in David and Tally's relationship. I think this is because David is still such a mystery to us; we don't really know much about him and the romance seemed to happen so fast that the book ended with me not invested in the relationship and not really caring about it.

Other than that, this series is a really nice, fresh approach on a YA dystopia and I would recommend to anyone who likes a good dystopian novel.

Image from amazon.co.uk - no Copyright Intended

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater - MAJOR SPOILERS!

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater - MAJOR SPOILERS!

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: For years, Gansey has been on a quest to find a lost king. One by one, he's drawn others into this quest: Ronan, who steals from dreams, Adam, whose life is no longer his own; Noah, whose life is no longer a lie; and Blue, who loves Gansey...and is certain she is destined to kill him. Now the endgame has begun. Dreams and nightmares are converging. Love and loss are inseparable. And the quest refuses to be pinned to a path.

Review: This book was probably my most anticipated book of 2016. And I was terrified to read it. It has sat on my Kindle since it's release week until, finally, this week, I began to read the final book in the Raven Cycle. And it was fantastic. A brilliant end to a series that is full of magic and adventure. This whole series has kept me gripped from beginning to end, and the wait between Blue Lily, Lily Blue and this final book was excruciating. If you have not read this series, I would definitely recommend it. The characters are wonderful and the plot is so interesting to read. That's really all I can say without spoiling the whole series so, if you have not read this series, go and read it and then come back so we can discuss.

WARNING. THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD...

This book was so well written. Even up until the last moment, you honestly don't know what is going to happen next which makes it so addicting to read. The one thing I would say, because this book is quite intricate in it's plot, is that it would probably help to re-cap Blue Lily, Lily Blue at least before reading this book, because a lot of the characters that we meet in that book come back to play in this one and, if you're like me, and haven't read that book in a few months, you do forget who some of these characters are and where they've come from.

The chronology of this book was incredible. We heard from everyone at least once - which is a lot of perspectives to juggle - and also, time itself played a big part in the plot. 6:21 was the elusive moment which Cabeswater replayed often in the book and, of course, we went back to the moment Gansey and Noah died and saw that moment play out. It would have been easy to feel overwhelmed with this, but Maggie handled it really well, and all of the perspectives worked well together in moving the plot forward, which a lot of authors would have struggled with.

The whole main squad has always captured me from Book 1. All of their personalities mesh really well and I love the humour and friendship that comes from all of them. Gansey has always been the leader of this group - it's his quest after all - but he's a very natural leader who always seems to have some idea of what to do or where to go. I loved that in this book, we got to see Gansey at a loss for what to do. After the events of Blue Lily, Lily Blue, no one is entirely sure of what to do next and it was interesting to see how Gansey in particular dealt with not having a clear plan of what to do next. The quest for Glendower also took a backseat in this book, because of the demon attacking Cabeswater and I kind of liked that that happened. A lot of books wouldn't have been able to do that - to put the quest that we've spent the last three books on, on the back burner for a while. It would have felt wrong; like the author was searching for something else to do in the final book. To me, it made sense that we focused on Cabeswater before we carried on searching for Glendower, and it was no less exciting than any of the other books. In fact, I'd say this book was more action packed than the others!

Noah has always been an interesting character. Both he and Gansey died on the ley line at the same time, though Gansey was saved and Noah was left to die. I loved that we got to see that moment again, from Noah's perspective. Gansey had said that someone had told him he was going to be saved because someone else had died on the ley line that shouldn't have, but he never knew who it was. I loved that it was Noah who said it to him. I thought that was so fitting and beautiful as, what I assume was his final act before moving on completely. Gansey even says in this book that he doesn't know who it could have been - he thought it was Glendower, but I'll discuss that later - and he wants to thank them. The first thing I thought of after reading that small chapter from Noah's POV was, that Gansey did thank Noah for what he did, by letting him join the quest for Glendower; for letting him be a part of something and for not dismissing him when they found out he was dead. I think for Noah, that was all the thanks he needed. Not only to see Gansey using his second chance, but to be a part of it.

Ronan is probably my favourite character in this series. His ability to bring things out of dreams amazed me in the second book, and still does, even now. It's such a cool ability to have - to be able to dream up anything and bring it out into the waking world. I mean, I could live without having to worry about bringing the nightmares out as well, but I'd take it. I love how he uses his power as well, especially in this book. He tries to dream a protective suit for Gansey to wear, to protect him for hornets. He doesn't know about Blue's prophecy so, as far as Ronan knows, hornets are the only known thing to kill Gansey. I just thought that was so sweet. Tough, prickly Ronan dreamt something up to protect his friend. His tentative relationship with Adam as well was really cute and I'd love to see more from them both. How he treats Blue as his little sister, commending her on getting suspended is so funny. I love how their relationship has grown over the course of the series.

I liked seeing Blue's growth towards the boys and Aglionby in general. Seeing her make friends with Henry and his friends was really nice, especially considering her initial reaction to Gansey and the group at the beginning of the series. It was really nice to see her change her opinion and realise that they're not all bad.

Adam as well, had his own growth, going back to his family's trailer park and confronting them at the end of the book. Again, it was nice to see Adam grow and realise that the abuse he suffered wasn't his fault and that he could, not forgive his parents, but to move past the abuse he suffered was lovely to see.

I thought Artemus was such a funny character. I liked how he was one of the 'tree-people' and that Blue had inherited some of that as well. I liked how everything revolved around trees and forests, it was really interesting. I thought it was so funny that he essentially lived in the cupboard in the house so that Gwenllian couldn't hurt him and then, when she managed to get in to the cupboard he became the tree in the garden, which I thought was so funny. Blue was so disgruntled because that tree had always been hers. He' definitely a coward to me - I don't really understand how Glendower appointed him, perhaps he was a different person all those years ago, but, he did redeem himself slightly by actually talking to Blue and telling her a bit about her heritage. He definitely could have done more to help, I think.

I liked how we started off with one dying tree and then worked our way up to the whole forest being unmade. I thought the demon added an interesting aspect to things; how it favoured Piper Greenmantle and gave her the ability to do all sorts of crazy things. The auction of the demon was a little strange for me though and it seemed like that was the one area that wasn't resolved in all of this. We saw all of these buyers, including the Grey Man who had left Maura and Blue to protect them, we saw the auction and how Piper was killed by her father but, we didn't see anything from them after that. I want to know where all these buyers scattered to and where the Grey Man went afterwards. Did he go back to Maura? We didn't see her at the end either so we don't know. This was the only aspect of the book that felt unresolved to me, simply because we don't know where all these people are now.

My heart broke for Gansey when we finally found Glendower. Not only was he hidden under the place where he died the first time, but, he was actually dead. Dead as in there was nothing left of him. So, the favour that we were all hoping would save Gansey either from dying or by resurrecting him, didn't happen. That moment when they were all trying to bring him back to life was heart wrenching because you knew there wasn't anything else they could do, other than kill Gansey. It was their last chance to save Cabeswater and their friend. I did enjoy going back to the place Gansey died the first time. It felt like we'd come full circle and, again, it was interesting to get some more background on that event.

Cabeswater is as much a character in these books as Gansey and Ronan and Blue. I never saw it coming that Ronan dreamt Cabeswater. That came as a real surprise but, when you think about it, it does make sense. Ronan dreamt Matthew, his little brother. It shouldn't have been surprising that he dreamt a magical forest as well. I really enjoyed seeing the bond between the group and Cabeswater; how they tried to protect Cabeswater, and how Cabeswater tried to protect them, either when it was under attack from the demon.

I said above that I was nervous about picking this book up. I think that's because Maggie had promised that the prophecy would be fulfilled and Gansey would die and, going into this book, all I knew was that it would be Blue's kiss that would kill him, but I couldn't figure out how we'd bring him back - because Gansey couldn't die completely. Even at the moment he died, I still didn't know how we were going to resurrect him. And I loved the answer to this seemingly impossible riddle. Cabeswater remade Gansey. That scene just astounded me. How it took the emotions of the group and used them to remake Gansey as best it could. I loved that moment - it just seemed to describe the entire series in one scene. Amazing.

I think that's everything I wanted to discuss about this book. The Raven Cycle in general is an incredible YA series and the Raven King is a really satisfying conclusion to the series.

Image from Goodreads, no Copyright Intended

Top Ten Tuesday

This weeks theme is Top Ten Books with X setting. I've chosen the five books that are set in my home country of England. And by England, I mean mostly London as that's where pretty much all of these books are set. Seriously, if you guys know of any books set in England but outside of London, I'd love to hear them!

1. City of Halves by Lucy Inglis - I adore this book. It very much reminds me of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series but it does put it's own unique twist on the plot and shows London in a great light.
2. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - since I mentioned it, I figure I might as well include this series here. Set in Victorian London, Cassandra Clare brings us a series showing how the Herondales never really change, despite the era they live in!
3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - so, technically, this book travels the world, but we do get a few chapters set in London, so I'm going to throw it in.
4. Pan's Revenge by Anna Katmore - the second book in the duology, this book is largely set in London rather than in Neverland. Which means we get to see pirates braving the skies of the Smoke. Who wouldn't want to read about that?
5. The Glimpse by Claire Merle - this duology is set in a futuristic version of London and is one of my favourite dystopian series. It puts a really interesting spin on dystopian worlds and the characters are incredible.

So, those are my top 5 books that are set in England. If you have any of your own, I'd love to hear them!

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Breenan and Maureen Johnson

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Breenan and Maureen Johnson

Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis: It is not easy being Magnus Bane. As a warlock, he's often called upon to fix the problems of others. His life has been long, and his loves have been many. And Magnus has a way of making sure he's in the right place at the right - or perhaps wrong - time. The French Revolution, Prohibition, the first great battle between Valentine and the New York Institute...Magnus was there, and usually in the middle of it. Magnus will never be able to tell all of his tales. No one would believe him. But these eleven stories shed a little light on his often inscrutable character. They are stories he probably wishes had never got out.

Review: This book is a collection of eleven short stories (all averaging around fifty pages or so), detailing some of the events of Magnus Bane's long life. Magnus Bane is a reoccurring character in both the Infernal Devices and, more prominently, in the Mortal Instruments series, both of which are by Cassandra Clare. I love both of these series and Magnus is one of my favourite characters. He's so sassy and sarcastic and is the most fashionable warlock I've ever heard of! I loved getting to learn more about him and how his life ended up tying in to the events of both the Infernal Devices and the Mortal Instruments.

I think my favourite story in this bind up is probably The Midnight Heir, where we get to see Tessa and Will and Jem once more, years after we left them in the Infernal Devices and we actually get our first real look at Will and Tessa's son, James which was really interesting. Dramatics definitely seem to run in the Herondale bloodline! Saving Raphael Santiago was another really interesting story and I loved how Magnus and Raphael's personalities just clashed together. I think that's one thing that Cassandra and Sarah Rees Brennan (who co-wrote this short story) are really good at, writing humorous and sarcastic characters. Of course, we couldn't read about Magnus' life without seeing Alec Lightwood as well. Their first date just sounds so hilarious and so typically Magnus.

As with all short story bind ups, I did enjoy some stories better than others but, overall, I did really love this collection. The only story I had a problem connecting with really, was The Rise of the Hotel Dumort, though I'm not really sure why. I think that one just felt a lot slower than the others and it was a bit more serious as well which, compared to the others which have a healthy dose of humour and sarcasm, I think that particular story lacked some of that which made it feel a bit slower.

I liked how certain characters made reappearances in some of the stories. Ragnor Fell and Catarina for example, pop up in several of the stories, and events that occurred in previous stories come up again and again. Ragnor Fell never got over the pirate escapade in Peru. And escapades are plenty, especially early on in this collection - Magnus always seems to know where the interesting things are going to happen. And, by interesting, I generally mean trouble!

If you enjoy the Shadowhunter world that Cassandra Clare has created, I would definitely recommend picking up this collection of short stories. You learn so much, not just about Magnus, but about other characters within the series and how they're living their lives or, as is the case with Alec and Magnus' first date, you get to see something that actually isn't included in the Mortal Instruments series because it's told from Clary's perspective. And, because they're only fifty pages long, you can pick which one you want to read, or just read one if you're short on time. Besides, why wouldn't you want to read about Magnus Bane's life?

Top Ten Tuesday

This weeks Top Ten Tuesday is a Rewind - so I've gone way back to 2010 for my prompt this week to tell you guys my Top Ten Fictional Couples in Books. I'm pretty sure this is going to be my favourite Top Ten Tuesday.

1. Feyre and Rhysand from the ACOTAR trilogy by Sarah J Maas. I love their relationship so much. How Rhys never tells Feyre what to do, simply lets her decide for herself and how they both support each other in the aftermath of Amarantha.
2. Daemon Black and Katy Swartz from the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. If you hadn't guessed these two would make the list then you don't know this book blogger very well!
3. Ash and Meghan from the Iron Fey series. Again, it is no secret that I love this couple.
4. Blue and Gansey from the Raven Boys quartet by Maggie Stiefvater. I think this is the longest build up to a relationship that I have ever read. Four books and we've only really had hints. Regardless, I love them together.
5. Cath and Levi from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I loved this book and I loved this couple. They're so sweet!
6. Baz and Simon from Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. Following on from number 5, Baz and Simon should not work as a couple and yet they really do.  
7. Clare and Gabriel from Clarity by Kim Harrington. I love this duology and I love Clare and Gabriel's relationship. A psychic and a sceptic - it's a match made in heaven...
8. Will Herondale (and Jem Carstairs) and Tessa Grey from the Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. Because you cannot pick between Will and Jem. You can't. So, they both go on to the list because, technically, they both end up with Tessa.  
9. Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta from the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I'm the first to admit, I was never openly bothered about the love triangle between Katniss and Peeta and Gale. I was always enamoured by Finnick and Annie. I would love to have a whole book just about them honestly....

So those are my top nine couples in fiction. What are yours?

Meeting Jennifer L. Armentrout!

So, a month ago today, I met one of my favourite authors of all time. If you have read this blog at all, you will know that I love Jennifer L Armentrout, specifically her Lux Series so, when I found out that she was coming to my town for a signing, I knew I had to go.

Now, I own the entire Lux series on my Kindle - but she couldn't sign a Kindle! So, I splurged on the bind up editions of the first four books of the series - Obsidian, Onyx, Opal and Origin. My family thought I was mental for buying books that I already owned but if I was going to get any books signed it had to be them. I also took my copy of Half Blood, which is the first book in her Covenant series.

This was my first ever author signing event so I had no idea what to expect or even how many people would show up, because she isn't really a well known author over here in the UK. I was really surprised and pleased that it was completely sold out and so many people had brought their copies of the Lux series as well. Lots of people to discuss Daemon Black with!!

Jennifer talked for about forty minutes about all of her books and their subsequent movie and TV deals, what inspired her to be an author and how she plots her books. One thing she said during her talk that rang true with me is that the first series of hers that you read tends to be your favourite. I read Lux first and then Half-Blood and Lux wins hands down for me. I thought it was an interesting point to make.

She was so nice to everyone there. You had a limit of five books (perfect for the Lux series) so the signing did take a while but everyone there was so friendly and you can't help but start talking to people about the series and your favourite parts and your favourite characters. I got a little (read a lot) excited about how she signed Lux:Beginnings.

The girl in front of me had all five Lux series books and I was a little jealous that her copy of Opal was signed with 'Want a Cookie?' but I got 'Hey Kitten' so I was happy. While we waited there were trivia questions being thrown out about Jennifer's various series and characters but, unfortunately, I didn't win anything there, but I did come out with two bookmarks that they were giving out. I'll give you three guesses which one I was most excited to get...

I had an absolutely amazing time doing something I honestly never thought I would get to do. It's an experience that is going to stay with me forever - and I'm now on the lookout for other signings to go to!

Top Ten Tuesday

It seems like ages since I last did a Top Ten Tuesday! This week's topic from The Broke and the Bookish is a dream for me (and for any book lover) - Ten Books You'd Buy Right This Second if Someone Handed You a Fully Loaded Gift Card. So, in no particular order...

1. A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston - I'm currently rereading A Court of Mist and Fury for the millionth time and it will probably influence a few of the books on this list. This book sounds magical to me and I'd love to pick it up.
2. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh - This follows the same kind of theme as A Thousand Nights but so many people have said this series is amazing and I'd love to see if the rumours are true.
3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - so many people love this series but I've not started it yet. With the film coming out soon, maybe I will...
4. Covenant Series by Jennifer L Armentrout - I already own Half Blood and, actually wasn't too keen on it. It reminded me of Vampire Academy and, because of that, never picked up the rest of the series. But, last month I met Jennifer (which was so amazing!) and actually, I want to see where this series goes.
5. The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen - I really enjoyed the Queen of the Tearling when I read it but I haven't got round to picking up this second book yet. Book 3 is coming out later this year as well and I really want to know what happens...
6. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas - Throne of Glass is on my Kindle begging to be read (and I'm slowly getting there) and, if it's anything like the ACOTAR series, I know I'm going to want to pick up the rest of the books in the series ASAP, especially with Empire of Storms coming out so soon, I need to get round to this series.
7. Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley - this blurb of this book kind of gives me Peter Pan vibes and I love reading books that are either retellings of Peter Pan or just remind me of that story.
8. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne - this book dropped at the weekend and, when I first heard about it, I wasn't sure whether I would want to buy it because it's actually a script of the play. But I flicked through a copy while I was away and I think I've changed my mind. Besides, it's not everyday that Harry Potter fever grips the world again so I think it's worthy of a place on this list for that alone.
9. The Giver by Lowis Lowry - I'd never heard of this book series until the film came out. I think it's more popular in America but here in the UK, we don't study it at school BUT since the film came out, I've wanted to pick up the books.
10. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab - these books sound so amazing, I'd love to start them.

So, those are the ten-ish books that I would buy if someone gave me a fully loaded gift card right now. Looking at this list, I think it would need to have a large amount of money on it! What books would you buy?

Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis: Stella Gordon's life is a lie. She does not belong in Thunder Basin, Nebraska. As the key witness in a murder trial, Stella is under witness protection, living a life she doesn't want. No one can know who she really is. Not even Chet Falconer, her hot, enigmatic neighbour. But against her better judgement, Stella finds herself falling under Chet's spell...
A storm is brewing. Is Stella really safe in Thunder Basin? And will Chet be her shelter, or her downfall?

Review: Here's the thing. I always leave Becca Fitzpatrick's books unsure whether or not I liked what I just read. The Hush Hush series grew on me as the books went on and I ended up really enjoying it. Black Ice I didn't enjoy and now we have Dangerous Lies and again I'm not sure whether I liked it. I'm kind of swinging towards no, and I think the reason for this is because of the characters. I didn't relate to any of the characters.

Lets start with Stella. From page one she annoyed me. Her general attitude towards the people saving her life wound me up. She was cold, arrogant and rude for the first half of the book and then, all of a sudden, she was fine with all the characters she'd just spent X amount of time hating for just existing. I just could not connect with her at all. Chet was sweet and I enjoyed spending time with his character but, again, he was almost needy especially towards the end. He put his life on hold to look out for his younger brother Dusty which I admire but, he seemed a bit lack luster, especially towards the end of the book when his 'relationship' with Stella was starting to hit off. I couldn't help but compare him to Damon Black from the Lux series - he looks out for his younger sister Dee through everything. That never gets pushed to the side when Katy comes into the picture. I think that was what I wanted from Chet - was for him to stop yelling at Dusty and to just talk to him calmly. Like a grown up. And to stop putting Stella before his brother which I kind of felt he was doing.

The plot definitely had grounds to be interesting and I did enjoy that aspect of it. Seeing what it's like for young people in witness protection was really interesting and, while Stella did annoy me, you can understand why she might be prickly to begin with if she has to leave everything and everyone she's ever known behind. (I just wish she'd gotten over herself)! I really didn't like the twist at the end. I saw Reed's involvement in the whole thing early on, though I never guessed at his actual role in everything. Stella's big reveal at the end of the book just made it seem like a waste of time. I've spent 300 pages reading about how awful this Danny is and how he's a murderer and he's the reason Stella has had to go into hiding...all to find out that, actually, that's not entirely true. I was so annoyed with this moment because it just felt like I'd wasted my time.
Speaking of the ending, the whole final fight then lost it's punch to me and actually ended up just confusing me a little bit. Stella spent the whole book blaming her mom for bringing this situation into her life when, actually, if she'd told the truth, Stella would probably have been fine. I was never worried for Stella or Chet during the final fight scene and I think it's because what little empathy I had for Stella had just disappeared. I didn't really care and I knew they'd get out okay.

The second half of this book is definitely better than the first half, but I still think that Hush Hush is Becca's best work. I relate more to those characters than any of her others and I think it's because we had four books to get to know them. I think that's where Becca works best, in series, where she can draw out the characters and we get to learn more about them. Her stand alone novels just aren't the same for me. Dangerous Lies for me is better than Black Ice but I don't think I'll be picking it up again in a hurry.