Review for There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: 4th August 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Religion, Comedy
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Source: Received as part of UK Book Tours

Amazon Summary:
"In the beginning there was Bob.
And Bob created the heavens and the earth
and the beasts of the field
and the creatures of the sea,
and twenty-five million other species
including lots and lots of gorgeous girls.
And all of this, he created in just six days.
Six days!
Congratulations, Bob!
No wonder Earth is such a mess.

Imagine that God is a typical teenage boy. He is lazy, careless, self-obsessed, sex-mad - and about to meet Lucy, the most beautiful girl on earth.

Unfortunately, whenever Bob falls in love, disaster follows.

Let us pray that Bob does not fall in love with Lucy."

Review
I originally wanted to read this book for my British Books Challenge with Meg Rosoff being an award winning British writer. Despite a lot of critical acclaim from the press I know a lot of people who either love or hate her books so with There is No Dog being my first book by Rosoff I was interested to see which category I would fall under and now that I’ve finished reading it I have to say I’m split firmly down the middle.

There is no doubt about the genius behind this book even from the synopsis – god turning out to be a teenage boy, of course! Brilliant! Now it all makes sense! And throughout the book Rosoff continues to explore the meaning of life through the eyes of several characters. The last of an extinct creature who knows he is soon going to die. A goddess who has the gift of immortality and how that brings her to lead an “invincible” lifestyle of excessive drinking and gambling. And, most interestingly of all for me, a vicar who throughout this book witnesses first hand a less than perfect God and has to personally deal with the fall out of Bob’s actions. The genius and thought put into this book were incredibly well thought out and thought provoking. I enjoyed that even though this book is essentially a story about religion at no point did it ever feel preachy so props have to go to Meg for that.

Now on to my dislikes. From the back of the book I expected this to be a rather humorous account through the eyes of a teenage god and whilst in some parts that was the case I couldn’t help wanting more from that side of the story. I wanted more about the thought process that went into Bob creating the world and more funny mishaps as Bob try’s to date a human girl. Unfortunately because there were so many other characters these things were only touched upon which I found disappointing. I also found Bob’s character to be quite patronizing and very stereotypical of a teenage boy with Bob only caring about himself and his latest conquest with no real thought process to back it up.

Overall I have very mixed feelings over There is No Dog. Some parts of this story were down right bizarre and for that reason I’m not sure if it will be everybody’s cup of tea. I can certainly see what Meg Rosoff was trying to achieve with this book but don’t think it was executed as well as it could have been. For me this book is a bit of a risk taker, I think most people will either love it or hate it. This book wasn’t really for me but I did enjoy it to some extent and for that reason don’t regret giving this book, something completely out of my comfort zone, a go.

Angel Fire Blog Tour! Hot, Young Things; Casting the Characters for Angel Fire

It gives me great pleasure to be welcoming to the blog today L.A Weatherly author of the fabulous Angel trilogy! Now if you’re a fan of the books then you’ve probably got some ideas about who would be your perfect actors and actresses to play the characters if this series was ever adapted to the big screen. So when I was offered to take part in this tour and to do a post about who Lee’s dream cast would be I couldn’t resist! So without further ado I bring to you Hot Young Things and welcome the author herself to talk about her fantasy dream team…

L.A. Weatherly’s Fantasy Film Picks for Angel Fire

Alex

Some of you already know of my love for Sean Faris as a potential Alex! But if Sean isn’t available, how about Asher Book (Fame)? Alex faces many challenges in Angel Fire – from being a leader to dealing with Willow’s growing relationship with Seb – and Asher has just the right look of gorgeous edginess to really encompass all of that. Like Sean, he’d have to wear contacts for Alex’s blue-grey eyes. I can live with that.

Willow

My pick for Willow is still Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!, Red Riding Hood). In Angel Fire, Willow has to deal not only with her confusing feelings towards Seb, but also with the suspicions of an entire team. Amanda’s slightly offbeat beauty is perfect for Willow, and I think she’d do a brilliant job of portraying the depth of everything Willow goes through.

Seb

My Twitter followers will know that I’ve been talking about New Boy a lot – well, here he is. Eighteen-year old Sebastián Carrera is a Mexican of Italian descent, with lightly-curling brown hair, hazel eyes, and a stubbled jaw. He’s also half-angel…and has been searching for Willow his entire life. Gorgeous Mexican actor Diego Boneta (90210, Pretty Little Liars) will fit Seb to a ‘T’, once we steal his razor. Sigh. Between Alex and Seb, I think Willow’s a very lucky girl!

Kara

Kara Mendez is an exotically beautiful Angel Killer with nerves of steel, whom Alex knew back at the camp in New Mexico. Kara’s half-black and half-Mexican, with high cheekbones and extremely short hair...and, now that Alex is older, her feelings for him might not just be friendship anymore. The beautiful Kerry Washington (The Last King of Scotland) would be ideal – we’ll just have to get her to cut her hair!


Thanks Lee! *fans self* Wow that’s a whole lot of hot for one post don’t ya think? I think all of these actors and actresses would be PERFECT for our favourite characters but my personal favourite pick would have to be for Willow, I think Amanda has the perfect look and would be fantastic! And Seb -wow new boy is hot! *regains composure* Okayyyy so for more on my thoughts on this series you can check out my review for Angel here and Angel Fire here. And make sure you stop by Excellent Reads on Monday 31st October for the final stop on the Angel Fire blog tour which will host a Q&A with L.A Weatherly.

What do you think of Lee’s picks? Who are your fantasy cast? I’d love to know!

Review for Angel Fire by L.A Weatherly

Angel Fire by L.A Weatherly
Publisher: Usborne
Release Date: 1st October 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Angels
Rating: 5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"Only Willow has the power to defeat the malevolent Church of Angels, and they will stop at nothing to destroy her. Willow isn't alone, though. She has Alex by her side a trained Angel Killer and her one true love. But nothing can change the fact that Willow's a half-angel, and when Alex joins forces with a group of AKs, she's treated with mistrust and suspicion. She's never felt more alone...until she meets Seb. He's been searching for Willow his whole life because Seb is a half-angel too."

Review
Last year I fell in love with Alex, Willow, their romance, and Angel as a whole. Since then I’ve been pinning away for Angel Fire this second book in the series. Angel set the standard pretty high and I was expecting Angel Fire to live up to that but what I didn’t expect was to be blown away even more than I was with Angel and I totally was.

L.A Weatherly takes everything fans loved about Angel and develops it more with this book. Straight away you’re thrown back into the action right where Angel left off and are quickly immersed back into this amazing world. Angel Fire is very much an evolvement of Angel with the books roots being the same but with Weatherly adding more plot, more twists and obstacles for Alex and Willow to overcome, and some brand new characters to get to know and love. And this leads me very nicely on to talk about Seb. Oh god where to start with Seb? Seb is both a new character and obstacle that threatens Alex and Willows relationship. Considering how much I love Alex straight off the bat knowing Seb’s going to come between one of my favourite couples should make me hate him right? And as much as I thought I would I couldn’t, in fact I loved him. Seb makes this plot so much more fascinating and developed with him being another half angel and I loved what that meant for Willow and learning more about her abilities. On top of Seb being a beautiful half angel, he’s also a hot, fiery Mexican bad boy who has a tragic past and is the sensitive, bookish type. Seb is my kind of guy and I think his character brought so much more to the story and took it to another level.

One thing that really stood out to me was L.A Weatherly’s ability to make you feel compassion for all of the characters. Despite a lot of arguments between Seb, Alex and Willow I could always see things from every characters point of view making it impossible for me to dislike any of them or take sides. With love triangle’s I’m usually really quick to decide which team I’m on and who I like and dislike but with this triangle I love all three of them so much that I just wanted them all to be happy. Although ultimately I’m still firmly team Alex and Willow I would still like to see Seb find love and happiness and therefore think that Lee should write me into the last book!

The plot is another aspect of the book that’s more developed with the after effects of the arrival of the second wave of angels and the introduction of The Twelve- the angel’s council. Despite this book being huge coming in at 709 pages I never got bored or felt like anything was dragging on longer than needs be. There was so much action, romance and suspense and I loved every single page. The climax to this book is huge and despite just spending over 700 pages in this world I wish that the next and final book to the trilogy Angel Fever was out now. Things literally exploded in this book and I’m so curious to see where L.A Weatherly takes us next with that ending. Overall Angel Fire is an un-miss-able sequel that I loved even more than its predecessor.

I’m taking part in the UK Angel Fire blog tour! Stop by the blog on Wednesday 26th October for an exclusive post with L.A Weatherly where she will be selecting her dream fantasy cast for an Angel Fire movie!

Scary, Spooky and Supernatural – Jess’s top pick’s for Halloween! (YA Edition)

Last year I done a post like this and it was really well received, in fact it’s one of the most viewed posts on my blog! So seems as everyone seemed to enjoy it so much I decided to do another post this year recommending those perfect Halloween reads but this time as a Young Adult edition. Because of this the books aren’t going to be as scary as say a Stephen King book like I picked last year but being a mainly Young Adult book blog I really wanted to focus on that genre this time especially because there are so many fantastic reads to choose from that fit the Halloween period perfectly! Like last year I’m bringing back the Fear Factor scale to help you find the book that has the right level of terror for you! All of these Halloween picks have been read by me and come highly recommended, only the best of the best for my readers!

Fear Factor

S-cream your pants scary! – Is someone behind me? What’s that noise? Sleeping with the lights on scary.

Terror-ific! – Oooh okay this is some scary stuff I…oh wait is that candy? mediocre scares.

Spook-tastic! - Oh man I wish my Halloween had as much spooky fun as this! Mild Halloween reading for those easily scared.

The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan
This is probably the scariest YA book that I’ve read. The Long Weekend is the story of two friends who get kidnapped and taken to a huge house far out in the middle of nowhere. What makes this so scary is the reality that these things happen in real life. An edge of your seat thriller.
Fear Factor = S-cream your pants scary!

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
Don’t be fooled by this book’s pretty, girly, cover! This is the ultimate girly Halloween read centered around a group of the meanest girls. But are they capable of murder? This one had me looking over my shoulder!
Fear Factor = S-cream your pants scary!

Soul Beach by Kate Harrison
Another one not to be judged by its cover! This one’s about a social website for the dead that seems to have our main character Alice strangely addicted after receiving an email to visit there to talk to her recently murdered sister. With parts told from the killer’s point of view this is an original and chilling thriller.
Fear Factor = S-cream your pants scary!

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
Blood Magic is such an eerie gothic read that’s jam packed with creepy atmospheric scenes. This is a totally original paranormal romance full of dark magic and murder. I loved this book and think it would make a fantastic Halloween read for paranormal lovers!
Fear Factor = S-cream your pants scary!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
This dystopian book is such a thrill ride of a read and up there as one of my favourite dystopians. This has lots of death and scares in this frightenly believable future perfect for fans of The Hunger Games.
Fear Factor = Terror-ific!

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
This is the perfect paranormal read for Halloween as its chock full of several different paranormal creatures. These kids aren’t your typical supernatural’s though, genetically engineered and super powerful their creator’s feel like they’ve made a mistake a mistake that can only be resolved by death…
Fear Factor = Terror-ific!

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
This is a completely original, gothic, supernatural read with a whole new take on a brand new supernatural creature. This book is set in a gothic boarding school that studies the dead language of Latin amongst other strange things. A captivating gothic love story.
Fear Factor = Terror-ific!

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
Haunting Violet is the perfect historical ghost story. Violet’s never believed in ghosts after spending her life working for her fraudulent medium mother but with a murder mystery going on, and the murdered girl in question haunting her Violet will have to start believing in ghosts because they believe in her.
Fear Factor = Terror-ific!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
This book is definitely a more fun Halloween read what with loveable and girly heroine Evie. Don’t be fooled by Evie’s girly exterior and pink Taser though this girl can seriously kick some ass and has to as it’s her job to keep the paranormal creatures in line and protect humans but with her unique powers which category fits Evie? Human or supernatural?
Fear Factor = Spook-tastic!

Velvet by Mary Hooper
Velvet is a gorgeous historical ghost story set in the Victorian/Edwardian period when spiritualism was at its peak. This is a fascinating read that takes an in depth look into the medium and spiritual craze, are the ghostly encounters Velvet is witnessing fake? Or the real deal?
Fear Factor = Spook-tastic!





To find out more about any of these books click on the title and the link will take you to the books page on goodreads for a synopsis, reviews, and more information.

So there you have it my recommended Halloween reading! I hope some of you decide to check these out for some spooky reading and whatever you’re doing this Halloween- whether it’s trying to hunt down a hot vampire for the night, or snuggling up with lots of goodies, some films and a book I hope you all have a great time enjoying the most paranormal night of the year!

Review for An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: 29th September 2011
Genre: Chick-lit, Romance, Seasonal Reads, Autumn, Adult Fiction.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Source: Bought

Amazon Summary:
"After a bruising divorce, headstrong Juliet Miller invests in a flat and advertises for a flatmate, little believing that in her mid-thirties she'll find anyone suitable. But along comes self-employed copywriter Floz, raw from her own relationship split, and the two woman hit it off. When Juliet's twin brother Guy meets Floz, he is overcome with a massive crush. But being a shy, gentle giant, he communicates so clumsily with her as to give her the opposite impression. Guy's best friend Steve has always had a secret, unrequited crush on Juliet. After a night of too much wine, Steve and Juliet end up in bed, after moaning about the lack of sex in their lives. Convinced that Juliet doesn't feel the same way, Steve agrees to a 'just-sex' relationship, until they can both hook their dream partners. Just when Guy has finally plucked up the courage to tell Floz how he feels, he finds she has rekindled an old romance. Floz has never had much love in her life and is obviously thirsty for affection. She loves the whole Miller family, from Juliet and Guy's warm, loving parents, to their ancient one-eyed black cat. But can Guy turn Floz's affection for his family into something more - into love for him? Then Juliet makes a series of discoveries which will turn the lives of all four friends upside-down and turns that Autumn into a season where love can be harvested."

Review
An Autumn Crush is a complete breath of fresh air in the chick-lit genre. My bookshelves are groaning with summer reads, and cosy Christmas stories yet An Autumn Crush is my first book that celebrates the beauty of the season. I think autumn is by far our most beautiful season with the warm, golden tones of the leaves, the dazzling fireworks and sparklers and there’s that woody, cinnamoney smell in the air. Some days are beautiful with the last sunshine of summer and some crisp and fresh with the promise of winter. I absolutely love this time of year and enjoyed snuggling down as the early nights drew in with this book that really captures the beauty of the season.

An Autumn Crush is such a lovely read and completely heart-warming. The story centers around loveable divorcee Juliet, her gentle giant of a twin brother Guy, Steve- Guy’s best friend, and latest addition to the group Floz Juliet’s new flatmate. As you can imagine the foursome get thrown together quite a lot! But even though Juliet and Steve, and Guy and Floz are perfect for each other- something any reader can see from the start!- the boy’s huge crushes on the girls lead to many a mishap and clumsy misunderstandings making them less than desirable to Floz and Juliet! I really loved all four of our main characters but Steve and Guy really stood out to me which was a nice change for a chick-lit novel. They were both total sweethearts and I became so endeared towards them as they tried and failed to impress the girls. Each character in this book has had a really tough time of it each with a less than perfect past and so I really wanted the best for them and for them to find a bit of happiness- especially with each other!

As well as the fun and vibrant foursome there are some really fantastic secondary characters in particular Juliet and Guy’s parents and Juliet’s gay best friend Coco. The book also tackles some difficult themes such as alcoholism and mental illness but that is also counterbalanced with some very funny and heart-warming moments and doesn’t take away from this books ultimately uplifting feel.

An Autumn Crush is my favourite book that I’ve read by Milly Johnson so far. Although this book is ultimately a romance it also has strong themes of parenting, family and friendship too. The book is written like a dream with some gorgeous Autumnal imagery. An Autumn Crush was an absolute joy to read and the perfect book to celebrate the season with.