Book Review-The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson

Due to procrastination, tiredness, and the ridiculous ease with which I am distracted, a quick change in schedule. Discussion post #1 will be up tomorrow. 

This is up for offer on the UK giveaway!

Title: The Bermudez Triangle

 Author:  Maureen Jonson

Series:  N/A

Published:   October 2004 by Razorbill

Length: 370 pages

Source: bought

Summary : What happens when your two best friends fall in love...with each other?
"Their friendship went so far back, it bordered on the Biblical -- in the beginning, there was Nina and Avery and Mel." So says high school senior Nina Bermudez about herself and her two best friends, nicknamed "The Bermudez Triangle" by a jealous wannabe back on Nina's eleventh birthday. But the threesome faces their first separation when Nina goes away the summer before their senior year. And in ten short weeks, everything changes.
Nina returns home bursting with stories about Steve, the quirky yet adorable eco-warrior she fell for hard while away. But when she asks her best friends about their summer romances, an awkward silence follows.
Nina soon learns the shocking truth when she sees Mel and Avery...kissing. Their friendship is rocked by what feels like the ultimate challenge. But it's only the beginning of a sometimes painful, sometimes funny, always gripping journey as three girls discover who they are and what they really want.

Review: Mel, Nina and Avery are the Bermudez Triangle; lifelong friends who'll be separated for the first time for a long period of time when Nina goes to a ten-week thing at Stamford while Mel and Avery stay in New York waiting tables. Nina finds love in ecowarrior Steve, while Mel and Avery also find love. In each other.

 I read this because 1. Maureen Johnson and 2. I've been recommended this many times for LGB fic.

Nina is a really  self-obsessed at times. She's also a bit of an idiot. I didn't really like her. I liked Mel. She's very sweet.  Avery talks back and is sarky, which I sometimes  like, but didn’t really.  They feel like tropes, and if I had a long time, I’d tell you exactly which ones. But they just weren’t very interesting, or that original.

It felt like two separate stories, really. The one with Nina and Steve and the long distance relationship that causes problems, and one with Mel and Avery, and the questioning of sexuality and place in world that causes problems. They're both interesting, but they didn't really intertwine  very well. 

The friendship thing  was good. The dynamics change a lot, and it covers a lot of things in terms of romantic and platonic relationship issues and how these relationships change and develop. I like the fact that while coming to a good close for the story, not everything ends totally happy ever after, reflecting the fact that life isn’t always happy ever after either.

Overall:  Strength 3  tea to a good book about relationships, but I just didn’t find the characters interesting enough to care.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website |

Mini-reviews for The Sweet Dead Life, Devilish and The Eternity Cure

Today- mini reviews for paranormal YA- The Sweet Dead Life by Joy Preble, Devilish by Maureen Johnson and The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa.

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 Title: The Sweet Dead Life

 Author: Joy Preble

Published:  May 14 2013 by Soho Teen

Source: edelweiss

Review: This is the diary of Jenna Samuels. After feeling sick, Jenna goes to hospital. With her brother. Who crashes the car. He doesn’t survive, instead becoming an A-word (Jenna has issues with the word angel) Jenna finds out that she’s being poisoned and also starts uncovering information about her missing father.

Afterlife stories are really fun. Well, afterlife/mystery stories. You know what I mean. The whole “I was dying” thing in the blurb is a definite draw in.

The Sweet Dead Life is a very quick read. The language is light and simple and easy to get through. I didn’t really enjoy it though-it got on my nerves quite a bit, but it’s good for those not looking for something not too serious.

Jenna was a bit annoying at times, just her way of narrating and all. She is very cheery. I liked Amber a lot, because she’s very different to your stereotypical angel.  Casey too.  We get a good antagonist. Jenna’s mum added a bit of grim reality.

The plot kept developing throughout, with something happening all the time.  you get frequent sumups of what’s happening so it’s easy to keep up with.

Overall:  Strength 3 tea to a light, fun afterlife story.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website |

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Title: Devilish

 Author: Maureen Johnson

Series:  N/A

Published: June 2012 by Harpercollins

Source: won from Much Loved Books

Review: Jane and Allison have always been best friends. They’re practically all the other has. So they’re in their senior year, and they’re meant to pair up with a new girl. Jane doesn’t get anyone, but after a small fuss, Allison gets Lanalee. And then Allison  really changes. No transformation should be this sudden. Jane does some investigation. And discovers that Allison has done a deal with a devil.

I was looking forwards to this- Maureen Johnson plus devils. It’s definitely an original and amusing take on such an old topic of selling your soul to the devil.

Jane is quite cool. She does so much for Allison, which is nice. She’s still getting over the breakup with Elton. She’s very funny, and a great narrator. Allison is a bit annoying in that she doesn’t do that much on her own. Lanalee is a really great version of a devil, tied up in bureaucracy  and sassing her way through most conversations. Owen was really sweet and the teachers at Jane’s school, once we got to know them for real, were pretty awesome.

Devilish is a really quick read. It’s well paced, and things happen quickly. the friendly narration works well and speeds it up further.

I would have liked to know the characters and their relationships a bit more before Lanalee showed up.

It’s mainly for younger people, but there are some unexpectedly violent scenes.

Overall:  Strength 3 to a relatively light take on Faustian contracts.

Links: | Goodreads | Author website |

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Title: The Eternity Cure

 Author: Julie Kagawa

Series:   The Blood of Eden #2

Source: publisher

Review: After leaving Eden, Allison is looking for her maker, Kanin, after sensing he’s in in trouble. Along the way, she meets her blood brother, Jackal, and they go along together. They discover lots of things , like what’s been happening to Kanin, scientific research regarding cures, and that the plague is getting rather bad. Fun!

Character developments were happening really well. Allison is still fighting with herself about being a vampire, and trying to be good about who she drinks from. The first part of The Eternity Cure is  mainly Allison travelling on her own, so we get to know her a bit more. Plot picks up when we meet more people. Jackal has changed a bit, and gets more intriguing as we go along. Sarren provides a constant antagonist. Zeke was eternally sweet. 

Plot was rather predictable at times. what with the ending of The Immortal Rules, I was guessing that Zeke would show up again. The story  developed well, with the whole family blood ties thing going on on one level and then there’s the sciency bit with the plague and they fit together well.

You can easily see the close bonds between Allie, Zeke, Kanin and Jackal, all of different types that change. On the flip side, there’s the breakdown of the bond between Allison and one of her friends from The Immortal Rules, which I found was a really good way of showing how changed they’ve all become since the beginning of the series.

The ending, when it happened, was a shock, but I guessed the twist cliffhanger as the playout of the event for it was happening. It seemed like a little bit of a repeat from somewhere else in the series, but it’ll definitely keep me reading.
On cover related note, thank *&*% that they sorted it out.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a vampire book with a completely different world and awesome characters.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website |

Waiting on Wednesday #38 The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we show off books that we want to read but have not been published yet. 

Title:  The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2)
Author: Maureen Johnson
Release Date: 2 January 2013 by Putnam Juvenile (And presumably HarperCollins)
Link to Goodreads: No official summary yet.
Why I want it: I really enjoyed the first in the series, The Name of the Star (review here) It dealt with Jack the Ripper, so I’m hoping this will deal with some similar dark, gritty and my kind of topic in London. Maybe lunatic asylums? Not sure. Judging from the tagline, it will be. But hopefully, whatever the subject, it’ll be good.

What are YOU waiting on this week?

Book Review- The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Name of the Star

 Author: Maureen Johnson

Series:  Shades of London #1

Published:  29 September 2011 by Harper Collins

Length: 372 pages

Warnings: Violence, kissing, 14+

Source: library

Other info: Maureen Johnson has written other things such as Little Blue Envelopes and the Scarlett series. Book 2, expected in October, will be called The Madness Underneath.

Summary : The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target?

Review: Rory moves to London to start at Wexford Borarding School, Whitechapel. And while she’s there, there’s a set of copycat killings. Being ‘Whitechapel, all they’re copying is the murder spree of Jack the Ripper. Like they were in the 1800s, the police in the 21^st century are once again useless, even while aided by technology such as CCTV. But then Rory sees a man on the school grounds, who no-one else can see despite him being the creepiest thing ever. Soon enough, she’s bulled into a world of ghosts, mystery and Jack the Ripper.

From the moment I read the summary on Goodreads, I knew I’d want to read this. And that I’d have high hopes for it. A modern take on Jack the Ripper? Count me in.

I really liked Rory. She taught me a few things about America. ((well, I say taught. She made comments about England such as “my schedule didn’t have the day in day out of back home, I’ll never remember this” and I just thought “Do you guys really have the same thing first period every day, second period every day and so on at school?” )). Jazza and boo were both fun girls who I’d love to be my real life friends. Jerome, the love interest of this novel, wasn’t my favourite boy in YA of a ll time , but he was fun and interesting.

I love the take on Ripper II. The spin on ghosts in this novel is a unique idea,. And the exorcism process is seriously cool. These new ghosts and the world around them is awesome! The plot twists and turns a lot, at unpredictable places, which makes it interesting and keeps me going.

Rory has her own strong voice- chatty, descriptinve, and easy to read. I got through The Name of the Star fairly  quickly, owing partially to the narrative, partially to the plot, and partially to my general interest in Jack the Ripper.

Overall:  Strength 4   tea to a book that has given me a new look on many things.

Links:  Goodreads | Author website | 

Book Review- Zombies Vs Unicorns, anthology

 Title: Zombies vs Unicorns

 Author: Lots of them. Edited by Justine Larbalestier (Team Zombie, hereafter known as JL) and Holly Black (Team Unicorn, hereafter known as HB)

 Series: N/A 

 Published: 21 September 2010 by Margaret K. McElderry Books 

 Length: 432 pages

 Warnings: references to sex, b*st**l*ty, homosexuality, profanity, gore, magic, violence, 14+ recommendation in the cover

 Other info:  The whole debate started on a blog. Click for HB's blog and JL's blog.  Links to authors individual websites included in review. 

 Summary  from blurb: Which is better: the zombie or the unicorn? Justine Larbalestier says that zombies are our own walking deaths. Funny, grim and terrifying, they cannot be escaped. Unicorns are sparkly and pastel and fart rainbows. Holly Black says that unicorns are healers, arbiters of justice and occasionally majestic man-killers, zombies drool and shed and probably carry diseases. Some of today’s finest writers have chosen their side, creating dazzling stories about both creatures. So read on and decide for yourself. Are you Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

 Review: The concept: love it. A straight out war between zombies and unicorns, fought by some familiar faces and other...I’ve never heard of.  This is an interesting, refreshing and funny break from the more popular Vampires vs Werewolves debate. And conveniently, it is set out in a unicorn story, zombie story, unicorn, zombie format. Let the battle commence.

Round 1:
Team Unicorn- The Highest Justice by Garth Nix. Its a unicorn who ends up killing a zombie and set in a medieval world of kings. I didn’t think that much really happened, it was just a this happened, that happened thing. I liked the detailed descriptions, but they slowed down the story a bit too much.
Team Zombie- Love Will Tear us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson. I think the whole idea was a zombie boy in love with a guy who’s father seriously hates zombies (Side note: yes, that is a homosexual relationship. If you have a problem with it, get rid of it, or at least keep it to yourself. Gay/bi/asexual/transgender etc people are just as awesome as straight people, if not more. Still not happy? Go away or be eaten by insane cannibals.). At times however, I couldn’t make out much of a plot. But it was funny, enjoyable, with a  little bit of brain eating thrown in.
Team Unicorn:0   Team Zombie:1

Round 2:
Team Unicorn- Purity Test by Naomi Novik. This one was interesting. It shoved a unicorn into New York, which is trying to find an entrance to somewhere that ends up being called Fairyland. This was funny, but there just wasn’t a plot at all.  However, I liked how it changed our perceptions of a unicorn and its virgin, into...something completely different. And don’t get me started on the baby unicorns and chocolate milk.
Team Zombie-Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan.  As the person who brought zombies to a young adult audience, I expected good things. And got them. While at times it was a little slow, I don’t think anyone else would ever put pirates into a zombie story.  Fun fun fun indeed. And the methods of destroying a zombie demonstrated in Bougainvillea are awesome.
Team Unicorn:0   Team Zombie:2

Round 3
Team Unicorn- A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan. I must confess, I never got through this. Its the one with the b*st**l*ty. Avoid at all costs is what I say. Team unicorn loses a point for this generally disturbing story.
Team Zombie-Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson. This highlights the dangers of horror movies’ suicide-at-five-pounds-an-hour (as termed by Grahme. This being a zombie story, our protagonist gets to babysit zombie babies! This was a fun story, with not too much happening, but still being entertaining.
Team Unicorn:-1 Team Zombie:3

Round 4
Team Unicorn-The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund. It’s a completely new take on the unicorn. It’s the closest we get to zombiefied unicorns. Nothing much happened, but the zombie unicorns mean I love it.
Team Zombie-Innoculata by Scott Westerfeld. Kids and adults living on a pot farm while everyone else on earth is a zombie. And then a few kids make plans to escape. This was extremely boring and whilst he is brilliant at writing Steampunk,  Westerfeld is no good at writing romance.
Team Unicorn: 0 Team Zombie:3

Round 5
Team Unicorn-Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot. This was immense fun. I never thought I’d enjoy Meg Cabot, but it was so funny and our protagonist ends up using her unicorn to  deal with her bullying problem. This is the girliest story in the book with some actual plot-rare for a zombie story.
Team Zombie- Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare. This is the one where a people simply don’t stay dead. It’s a full love story and the heir to dukedom or something like that (I’ve completely forgotten)dies and comes back. I liked this because normally, zombie romance does not work (main reason being the zombie should want to eat the brains of their partner. More on that another day), but Clare made it work. Tough deciding which one wins,.
Team Unicorn: 1  Team Zombie 3

Round 6
Team Unicorn-The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey. This was edging into the zombiefied unicorn team as well. Most unicorn stories involve the unicorn saving the life of the human.  In this story, this is very true. As long as the unicorn has taken a life as well. This was an interesting spin on unicorns, but there wasn’t a plot at all.
Team Zombie- Prom Night by Libba Bray. This didn’t have a plot either… I’m not entirely sure of the point, and I didn’t really like the characters and I didn’t understand the situation.
Team Unicorn:2   Team Zombie:3

Round 7
There actually wasn’t a seventh story for each side, this is more a bonus round for the banter at the start of each story. It’s JL and HB discussing various things, putting down the story if the  story is for the opposite side, and defending it if its theirs. HB’s fights go something like “unicorns are like this. Its good” and repeated “zombies shamble and bits fall off and that’s disgusting”. JL’s fights go “yes, but zombies are better because of this” and “unicorns are rubbish because *insert new reason* ”. I love this banter. JL wins.
Team Unicorn:2   Team Zombie:4

Total: Zombies win in terms of rounds. Of course, these are my own opinions and you probably won’t agree. Not my problem!
Just to let you know, I’ve always preferred zombies to unicorns. This doesn’t change my opinion. So, I say, Team Zombie wins. Add your opinions below.
Me and my book club WILL have this as one of our “open for discussion” debates. Enjoy when it comes.

Overall:  Strength 3 tea because its funny, and with some great stories, but at times very disturbing.

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights the books we can't wait to be released. This week,The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Name of the Star
Author: Maureen Johnson
Series: Shades of London #1
Release Date: 29 September 2011
Summary from Goodreads:A modern-day thriller about Rory, an American high-school student who enrolls at a London boarding school for her junior year. Soon after her arrival, a series of murders begins to take place across the city—on the exact dates and in the exact style of Jack the Ripper. Rory’s ties to the killer bring her in contact with a secret paranormal branch of the British police, as they attempt to stop the mysterious killer.
Why I want it: I know, I read a fair bit about Jack the Ripper. But it's interesting, so I don't think I'll be breaking that habit soon. I read another book that has the same premise as this, ((Scared to Death, by Alan Gibbons)), and it will be interestingto see how this one compares.
Website: Maureen Johnson's Official website

What are you waiting for?