NOW READING: HARVEST OF RUBIES ~ TESSA AFSHAR

The prophet Nehemiah's cousin has been catapulted into the center of the Persian court - working long hours, rubbing elbows with royalty, and becoming the queen's favourite scribe.

Not bad, for a woman living in a man's world.  But a devastating past has left Sarah believing that God doesn't love her and her achievements are the measure of her worth - a measure she can never quite live up to.

Darius Pasargadae is accustomed to having his way.  A wealthy and admired aristocrat, the last thing he expects is an arranged marriage to the queen's scribe, an intelligent woman who scorns him.  

Can two such different people help one another overcome the idols that bind them?

REVIEW: HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET ~ BLAKE LOUCKA MOSTOW

Following a painful divorce, Sarah Cassidy and her teenage daughter, Elissa, moves from Chicago to a “nice” suburb in Seattle, determined to make a fresh start.  Elissa soon befriends their neighbour Ryan, a lonely young outcast living in the house at the end of the street, in which his sister once murdered their parents; Carrie-Ann then disappeared into the surrounding woods where it is believed she drowned.  Inexplicably filled with unease over Elissa's friendship with Ryan, Sarah tries to exert some control over Elissa’s life, straining their already tumultuous relationship even further. 

Years after the double murder the Jacobsen family tragedy is still the talk of the town, as Ryan’s dilapidated house and its reputation has a negative effect on the surrounding property values, and the community just can’t seem to let go.  Hated and victimised by the townspeople, Ryan has turned into somewhat of a recluse, and Elissa is determined to be his friend and get the townspeople to give him a break.  More unsettling than the house or Ryan’s reputation, however, is the urban legend that the disturbed Carrie-Ann never died, but continues to live in the woods; a creature of hatred. 

Is it Elissa’s imagination, or is she being watched?

House at the End of the Street by Lily Blake, David Loucka and Jonathan Mostow (a novelisation of the film with the same name), started out with so much promise.  I was really into the story from the first page, enjoying the writing style and the setup of the story to come.  However, what followed did not live up to my expectations.

While the novel is obviously supposed to be a thriller, it didn’t scare me once.  Not once.  Not even a little bit.  Even the ending, which I presume is meant to be suspenseful, didn’t even have me anxious.  I wish I could say that at least the ending surprised me, but it didn’t.  I wouldn’t say I saw it coming for sure, but I suspected some of it all along.  Yes there were twists, but I saw most of them coming.

The storyline is indeed quite disturbing, but overall this was a really easy read which I finished in less than a day, and it wasn’t deep enough or strong enough to leave a lasting impression on me.

Deeply scary with an awesome twist? The movie maybe, but not the novel 

Having said that, I believe I will definitely watch the film version.  At the very least I always enjoy comparing adaptations (and in this case the book is based on the movie), and I love Jennifer Lawrence as an actress.  If anyone can make these events interesting, she can.  

Product information:

Title: House At The End Of The Street

Author: Blake, Loucka, Mostow

Number of pages: 208

Publisher: Poppy; Mti Edition

Year: 2012

ISBN-10: 0316230634

ISBN-13: 978-0316230636

AUTHOR SARAH ALDERSON READ MY REVIEWS!

I always get really excited when authors read my blog.  Sarah Alderson, author of Hunting Lila and Losing Lila, has read both of my posts on her work.

Hunging Lila

Losing Lila

REVIEW: LOSING LILA ~ SARAH ALDERSON

I suggest you first read my post on book 1, Hunting Lila, before continuing.  If this is a story you might like to follow, do not read this post – it contains major spoilers of book 1.

At the conclusion of Hunting Lila, Lila has discovered that Demos is not the man who murdered her mother, and that her mother was never truly killed at all; like Lila she is a psygen – she is kept on The Unit’s base and experimented on!  Alex and Jack also discover that The Unit is not what they think, and that the psygens they have been taught to hate are not as sociopathic as they were made to believe. 

Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson picks up a shortly after Hunting Lila left off.  A few days after the Joshua Tree shooting , Lila and Alex are in Mexico, meeting up with Demos and the other psygens in order to facilitate a plan to break Jack and Melissa out of The Unit’s custody.  With Alex’ support and encouragement Lila finally embraces her ability and works on controlling it and getting stronger.  It’s time to stop running and start fighting. 

The stakes go even higher when Lila learns that The Unit also got their hands on her father.  It turns out that her father has always been aware of the fact that her mother is telepathic, and that he has been working on a cure for psygens, to remove their abilities; but with his research The Unit need only reverse the basics and they can create psygens of their own – better, stronger psygens to be sold as weapons to the highest bidder.  

Is it possible for a handful of psygens, along with Alex, to break into the hi-tech military base, get down to maximum prisoner holding, break out Lila’s family and safely get back out, when all of them are wanted and hunted by The Unit?   Can a team of five people hope to take down an entire military institution who threatens them all?

Losing Lila was every bit as exciting as Hunting Lila, and concluded quite satisfactorily; however, several questions are left unanswered.  What happened to Richard Stirling?  Is Sara alive?  Will Jack ever discover the truth of his birth?  Sarah Alderson left the back door ajar, ensuring the possibility of a future novel  - though, should this not materialise, Losing Lila answered all the major questions, so we can live with it.  Though I would LOVE another book.  Maybe set a few years later, seeing the gang reunite for a kick-ass mission?  I was disappointed to have to say farewell to Lila, Alex, Jack, Demos, Suki, Key and the others; especially Mrs Johnson – what a hoot! 

One of the things I appreciated most about these books, is that there is no love triangle.  I am sick unto death of love triangles.  It was really great to know straight of the bat that Lila loves Alex, and while suspecting the feeling is mutual, he admits it fairly early on.  It was so refreshing to just have the two of them be a couple in love all along, their love threatened only by physical threats, no third party. 

The plotline is fast and furious, and once again there are several surprising revelations that make the outcome impossible to predict. 

I had a hard time putting these books down, and whenever you are literally sad to finish a book, the author did a fantastic job.  Sarah Alderson most definitely did.   Great, gripping read.

Product information:

Title: Losing Lila

Author: Sarah Alderson

Number of pages: 320

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Year: 2012

ISBN-10: 0857071971

ISBN-13: 978-0857071972 

REVIEW: HUNTING LILA ~ SARAH ALDERSON

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson is about seventeen year old Lila who is suddenly taken to London by her father after her mother’s murder, separating her from her brother Jack and his best friend Alex – the guy she’s loved all her life (though she’s the only one who knows this). Shortly after her mother’s death Lila discovers that she has telekinetic abilities.  For four years she carries this secret until a mugging exposes her to others.  Lila leaves London behind and runs to California, into the arms of her best friends and protectors; Alex and Jack. 

Happy to be with the people she loves best, Lila tries to simply forget what happened in London and enjoy the time she has with them.  Jack and Alex have both joined the marine corps, and work for a secret organisation called The Unit – though Lila has never discovered what it is they do; only that they hope to track down her mother’s killer.  Lila doubts her decision to come to California when she starts suspecting that Jack doesn’t want her there; but when she realises that Jack and Alex never leave her alone and that men from their unit are always watching their house, Lila starts suspecting that Jack and Alex fear for her safety. 

Lila then learns that Jack and Alex are trying to capture a band of very dangerous criminals, who have now discovered that Jack has a sister.  They hope to kidnap Lila in order to have collateral with which to bargain with The Unit.  Content to be in Alex’s company, Lila doesn’t worry about the situation overmuch, but Lila soon discovers that there are others like her; people with special abilities – and that Jack and Alex’ job is to hunt them down, and “contain” them.  The only people she trusts to keep her safe, are actually the very people whose job it is to capture her.  Lila then discovers that her mother’s murderer is also a like her, only he’s the most powerful of their kind – and it is he and his cronies who want Lila.

Can Lila trust Jack and Alex with her secret?  If they were to find out, would they still love her?  Can she trust them to protect her when they have been trained to despise and dispose of her kind?

Hunting Lila is the most gripping read I’ve had in a really long time.  The story is very well plotted and written, the characters are wonderfully developed and the intrigue of it all won’t allow you to put the book down until you’ve finished it. 

Especially Lila’s fears about being considered a freak and her feelings towards Alex are wonderfully written – you as reader feel what Lila feels.   Anytime an author can awaken such deep emotion within you, you’ve got a winner in your hands.

Hunting Lila and its sequel, Losing Lila, came highly recommended by my best friend, Erika – so automatically I bought both at the same time.  What a relief.  When I finished Hunting Lila I immediately picked up Losing Lila.  This story is so gripping I couldn’t wait to read more. 

I enjoyed this book every bit as much as The Hunger Games trilogy and the Twilight saga.  One of my favourite books I've read all year.

Product information:

Title: Hunting Lila

Author: Sarah Alderson

Number of pages: 320

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Year: 2011

ISBN-10: 0857071955

ISBN-13: 978-0857071958