Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

The Iron Daughter was fast paced and every bit as exhilirating as it's predecessor, if not even more so! Every time I tried to find a not-so-interesting passage to place my bookmark, I failed- there wasn't a page that didn't have me wanting to continue!

The trademark of Julie Kagawa's style of writing- her descriptiveness in both the setting and interactions between her characters- is evident here again and make this novel a real treat for your imagination, while still being absolutely engaging and believable. Ash and Meghan's relationship only gets more intense and heart wrenching this time, but Meghan and Puck fans will be pleased to see their relationship grow too. Grimalkin returns in this adventure, which I was so happy about because I loved him so much in the last novel (I am very much a cat person!). Another unexpected and unlikely character is also back, and I have to say I became very attached to them by the end of this book. And of course, we meet a whole host of new characters as we learn much more about both the faerie world, Nevernever, and each of the main character's back stories.

This novel has everything- action, adventure, love, tragedy and humour. It's the kind of book that'll keep you up late at night and late for work/school because you really won't be able to put it down. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series!

Overall:  ♥♥♥♥♥

Published: 27 July 2010 by Harlequin Teen

Review: Need by Carrie Jones

Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you"d have to fear.

Lately I've been in a bit of a book rut. Nothing seems to impress me anymore- even books that I've been anticipating for months are being thrown to the floor in frustration at how little they seem to hold my interest. Need however, was the book that brought me out of all that. It was amusing, different and will have you needing to finish it in one sitting (haha yes, lame pun I know).

Zara surprised me as a character who I could relate to very easily. She was complex and doesn't easily fit into a description. She wasn't a pushover, but she was a pacifist in the way she tried to deal with her problems. She was strong and yet vulnerable too, especially after the death of her father. Though the way she reacted and dealt with things were not always agreeable, they were realistic, and that is what I like most about her. The story itself was also suspenseful and fast paced, though sometimes a little too much so. Some parts of the novel needed to be better explained and just built up more, however overall it was still a very entertaining read.

I know the whole pixie thing can sound like a bit of a lame rip-off of faeries, but there's a lot more to this book than meets the eye. There's depth, there's humour, there's mystery and there's some very sweet romance- pretty much everything a good YA book needs to be absolutely awesome!

Overall:  ♥♥♥♥

Published: First published April 2010 (Australia) by Bloomsbury/Allen&Unwin Australia