The Passage by Justin Cronin - Book Review

A journey into post-apocalyptic world in the not so distant future is every dystopia fiction fans dream come true, and every humans worst nightmare.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Amy Harper Bellafonte is six years old and her mother thinks she's the most important person in the whole world.

She is.

Anthony Carter doesn't think he could ever be in a worse place than Death Row.

He's wrong.

FBI agent Brad Wolgast thinks something beyond imagination is coming.

It is.

THE PASSAGE.

I will start this review with a warning; this book is not for everyone, but if you are not faint hearted and start with The Passage it may just consume your life.

I first heard about this book more than a year ago from some colleagues at where I worked at the time, The Passage was being talked about everywhere; top of the best sellers in WHSmiths, raved about by all that read it, warnings about its complex dystopian themes but no one could quite tell me about what it was about. Because of this I never found the time for this great volume of a novel. But a couple of months ago I had some money in my Amazon account and the cover reached out to me from my black and white Kindle screen begging to be read.

This is not a short read, and all the better for it. It covers more than a 100 years from the perspective of a spiralling cast of protagonists, each one with their own back stories and rich lives revealed to you when the time is right. The narrative is weaved by these rich characters in a ever more complicated web, and when the final destination finally reveals itself you are dragged rather than being allowed to follow them on their quest.

More than once trapped within its pages I couldn't possibly see where it would take me next. It felt like the dooms day was upon them and they would never last the night, until something happens that allows them to continue their journey. 

This review is deliberately vague to allow anyone who has not read this yet to discover its secrets in the way Cronin intended, as the result is a modern masterpiece.

9/10

If you want to read short teaser of this book, it was my last weeks Teaser Tuesday. I have never read anything like this before, and would recommend it to anyone who loves a rich gritty and unique narrative, but has the stamina to stick with this 1,000+ page novel, hence loosing a point in my rating for its length.

I would love to speak with anyone who has read The Passage to discuss the finer points of this fabulously complex book. More so, I would love to discover what the second book in the series, The Twelve , has to offer and will do as soon as I can!

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie x

True Blood (Series 1) - TV Series Review

I’ve read the books, and know the story but the first series of True Blood, produced by HBO is an ‘interpretation’ of the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris well worth the watch.

True Blood , TV series by HBO based on the books by Charlaine Harris

I borrowed this off my driving instructor, of all people, after we struck up a conversation one lesson about the series. Promised an edgy fantasy drama, from someone who hadn’t read the books seemed a great start, but I was very curious about some character names I didn’t recognise.

This 12 episode series was polished off in just over a week. Thanks to a rainy Sunday and more than a few evenings curled up on the sofa, I really became emotionally invested in the series and its characters. Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse) and Stephen Moyer (Vampire Bill) are fantastically cast to really embody the characters of my imagination. Terra and a new lover for Sookie’s brother Jason are completely re-invented and provide additional narrative streams that add some great extras to the plot.

Vampires, shape shifters and more are blamed for a multitude of sins, but the real trouble is caused by the people you least expect, providing some nail biting moments to some real shockers.

Overall I loved the series, and I believe it is just as enjoyable as the books, if not more so (yes I did just say I enjoyed the TV series more than the books) as it brings the series to life in a truly sexy way!

I enjoyed the series so much, the other half got me the box set of the first 4 series on Blueray for my Birthday, and I am already half way through the second series. Cozy evenings in just got gory, sexy, violent and vamped.

I give the series:

9/10 (Loses a point because I think these can get better, and I want to wait and see what the rest of the series has to offer).

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie x

No Good Deed by Bill Blais - Book Review

Don't get me wrong, I love YA fiction, but this is one seriously good grown up demon fighting awesome book that all age groups will love!

Summary Courtesy of Amazon: "In the last ten days, I've resigned myself to three things: Your kid'll break his arm the day after you lose your job; you should always look a gift horse in the mouth; and nothing, not even ridding the world of demons, is as straightforward as you'd think."Kelly McGinnis has spent her adult life trying to do the right thing, but as a newly down-sized mother of twins and the wife of a man living with Multiple Sclerosis, she also knows that trying isn't always enough. While interrupting a scene of police brutality, Kelly unwittingly releases a real, live demon. After she manages to kill the creature through gut instinct and blind luck, she is approached to join a secret group of demon hunters who reveal an underworld of monsters and magic. Against her better judgment, Kelly accepts the lucrative, if bizarre, offer; but when she meets Umber, a compelling incubus with an unexpectedly human story, she learns that the truth is far stranger and more terrifying than she imagined.

This is the #1 book in the Kelley and Umber series by Bill Blais. Bill is such a great guy, and having posted and interview with him here on the blog before I read the book he made some pretty bold statements that had a lot to live up to. But I have to say it was more. This is a seriously good book!

At the ripe age of 21 I find very few characters I can really relate to. YA protagonists seem to always be young teens and I see their flaws and strengths in relation to when I was that age. Kelly though, is a character I will inspire to be like! Middle aged, slightly over weight but with a fantastic family that she loves and an exciting change of career. She is likeable, funny, imperfect and most of all KICK ASS!

At no time was I left feeling like this was similar to another book, that I could predict where the next page would take me or felt it slowing down at all. Even domestic scenes of dinner parties had their exciting twists that left me wanting more.Speaking of twists; the introduction of the character Umber in the late stages of the book is something I have not seen before and I loved it. As the whole series is named after the pair I know he will star more in the future books and I can't wait.

The main flaw in this book from my opinion is not really its fault. Being written by an American, being set in America it holds and lot of references to America that do fit is well with the international audience. Struggling to pay medical bills just does not happen in the UK with the NHS, and this was something that bugged me a little. However it is integral to the story and I of course understood that healthcare is insurance based and has to be paid for. Other American cultural references I feel were lost on me, but it did not hold the book back in any way.

Overall I loved this book. The protagonist Kelly is awesome, her family adorable and the character of Umber is really one I look forward to reading more about. 

9/10 (1 point lost because I'm not American)

I am taking part in a blog tour for this book with some really awesome book bloggers. You can see their out their reviews, interviews, guest posts and giveaway from here.

Thanks as always for reading,

Love Rie x

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - Book Review

An emotional roller coaster that has changed my perspective on life.

Summary Courtesy of Amazon : 

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

I asked to borrow this book of my brother's other half (and friend :)) Louise when I saw her talking about it on Facebook. Just days later I was presented with a signed hardback copy of this book with a smile. I didn't know anything about it, I am not even sure I read the back of the book fully before I started it but this book gripped me and made me think about life in a way I never have before.

Yes I knew the books protagonist, Hazel, had terminal cancer but this book is more than cancer, more than an illness but something I can really relate to - a book. The Imperial Affliction. The book that finished halfway through a

I knew that a book on this topic would include a lot of emotions, but it wasn't the ones I expected. I fell in love with Hazel and Gus and their travels to find out answers about this book. I laughed, and I cried... a lot! But when it finished, in a twist I didn't even think of, I was not sad. It made me stop and think. I was happy that the characters could now be happy.

It is one of those books that I cannot talk about fully in a review, because I want you all to beg, borrow and purchase this book yourselves and experience it. John Green, I am now convinced, is a fantastic writer and you don't read his words off a page, you experience them.

I finished this book in record time, even though at one point as I sobbed in my puzzled boyfriend's arms that it was too sad to finish. But I am so glad I read this book. As I have seen in other reviews even writing about this book is sad, I am tearing up thinking about different sections. But I still urge you to read this book to find out why.

Ironically just a day after I finished this book I travelled to Amsterdam, and lets just say I couldn't travel to Anne Frank's house for fear of bursting into tears on the top floor!

This is not normally a book I would read, I like fantasy, demons, vampires and werewolves. But I enjoyed it just as much because the style was so effortless and the narrative to emotion packed. Because of this I will score it among some of my favourite books as being:

9/10 (lost 1 mark because I am still crying!)

I want to know, in the comments below what you thought of this book. Please tell me other people cried! What should be my next read from John Green?

Thank you all for reading,

Love Rie x

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong - Review

Hi all.

As the title suggests, this is a review for The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong. I have been wanting to read the Darkest Powers trilogy for a while now, and after downloading the first chapter onto my Kindle and giving it a quick read, I made the investment to my sanity by downloading all three at once. I know how difficult it can be to wait for new books to be released in a series so I thought I would just bite the bullet and buy them all, and I am so glad I did!

(I have done something a bit different here, by including a summary of the book so you can know what I am talking about. Let me know if you like this, or if I should stick to just my review.)

Summary courtesy of Amazon:

"The first book in the Darkest Powers trilogy - a brand new series by bestselling author Kelley Armstrong. All Chloe Saunders wants is a life like any normal teenager - the chance to get through school, make friends, and maybe meet a boy. But when she starts seeing ghosts, she knows that life will never be normal again. Soon ghosts are everywhere, demanding her attention. When Chloe finally breaks down, she's admitted to a group home for disturbed kids. At first Lyle House seems okay, but as she gets to know the other patients - charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek; obnoxious Tori; and Rae, who has a 'thing' for fire - Chloe begins to realise that something strange and sinister binds them all together, and it isn't your usual 'problem kid' behaviour. And they're about to discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home, either ..."

So what did I think of it?: It was good!

With a much younger protagonist than the books of the Women of the Otherworld series, I had my reservations if I would enjoy it as much. But they were defiantly not founded. Armstrong has a talent for creating well rounded characters, and this was no exception. It encapsulates a confused teenage mind in such a well articulated way it was a pleasure to read. 


At times I did find myself guessing what made each character unique within the book, and 99% of the time my guesses were correct. Without giving too much away, Armstrong is a fantasy writer and she doesn't fail to provide that familiar supernatural flair.

This book really does get better towards the middle, the first half can be a little tedious with Chloe, the protagonist, explaining her predicament and her surroundings. Yet as I always, after a few too many late nights thanks to not being able to prise my Kindle from my hands, the book came to a gob-smacking conclusion. 


I want to be able to say I saw it coming, and it was predictable, but to be honest it was a really nice surprise ending. 

I am gagging to get reading the next book, The Awakening but with other reading commitments and a mountain of university work I am saving it for a treat. But one I will be tempted to start everyday!

4.5/5

Thanks for reading,

Rie xx

Kindle Review

I know that Kindle’s have been out for a while now, but I received mine as a birthday present at the end of October and wanted to play around with it for a few weeks to let you know what I thought.

I initially asked for the original Kindle, now called Kindle Keyboard, for my birthday present before the new one came out. I have been umming and ahhing about e-readers for quite some time and finally decided to have a go. However when it came to my parents ordering it, they got me the new Kindle and I am so glad they did. 

I won’t bore you with the stats of the reader as they are easily available on the Amazon website. But I just wanted to let you know what I think of its features, and also what my friends and family have said about it when having a quick play.

The look and feel of the reader is lovely! It fits easily in one hand and is super light making it easy to read and hold. Whenever people have seen me using it they always go “is that a Kindle… its sooo small!” and it surprising how compact it really is.

In terms of usability it did take a little longer than I expected to really get to grips with all the controls. The 5 way controller works logically but it can be difficult to use the search features especially the keyboard. Having said this finding and downloading books was really fast, so it was not such a big issue. 

I have to mention here that I have never played with a Kindle before, I had simply read the specs, and heard a lot about them so as a big reader I decided I needed to have one! I found page turning buttons on the sides of the screen are really easy to use, and I picked up their function and how to use the without even thinking, yet when others pick it up and see then struggling to get to grips with the concept. 

Just a soft pull down on the keys turns the page, but nearly every person who has had a look at it attempts to push the button into the side of the kindle exclaiming “these buttons are a bit stiff” and “they don’t even work Marie – have you broken it already!”. A simple demo is all it takes to clear the confusion in 9/10 cases, yet my boyfriend still hasn’t got to grips with it! Whereas I think they are slightly too easy to use, with me accidently skipping pages whilst adjusting my position whilst reading!

The screen has to be my favourite part. It actually does read like paper. Super easy on the eyes I have found myself on more than one occasion reading for hours into the night seamlessly flicking pages. There is a small flash when the pages turn, but I didn’t notice after the first 2 pages. The background images are really cool too. If I didn’t know otherwise I would think they were pencil drawings – really showing of the screens quality. There is so many too! I have been using it every day for 2 weeks and I swear I have just seen one I haven’t seen before.

The paper like quality of the screen is not really
given justice in this photo! This extract is from
 Nick Spalding's 'The Conerstone'

The images appear to be randomly selected,
but this is my favourite one.

I haven’t been taking it out and about much of late; due to the case my brother kindly ordered me a case from Amazon, which was out of stock and has taken over a month to arrive. But I have to have everything in lime green and I hope it will be worth the wait! In the mean time I have been storing it in its box which is equally compact.

The sample feature is also been really good. I have been able to download the first chapter of every book I have wanted to read, but never sure if it was going to be for me. After all it was blurb on the back of a Kelley Armstrong book I read once in Waterstones that lead a whole lot of my friends to purchase (and fall in love with) the entire Women of the Otherworld series. And it was the first chapter I downloaded of Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark on Kindle for PC that made me go a buy the entire set. I think this might be a costly habit!!

Overall I think I am in love. Heavy books no more I am a reader of a super light, and super stylish Kindle. I don’t think I will ever run out of space, but with cloud storage you never need to worry about losing your books, or even your page.

4.5/5 (it lost a 0.5 because it is fuelling my book worm habit!)

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie xx

The Sims Medieval - Review

Hi All :)

I present to you a review from my inner computer nerd. 

I have been relying on The Sims 2 for my escapism since its release back in 2004, due to a computer that wasn’t up to anything more. It was only thanks to the boyfriend that it could run it at all with many hand-me-down parts from his old computers. But as a little present for finishing my second year of uni (and the fact he was upgrading) I was gifted the boyfriends old PC. After my little Shuttle this computer is AMAZING! And best of all I could indulge in a more recent release of Sims!

Many people may upgrade simply to Sims 3. I’m sure if you search elsewhere you will find many positive reviews on the upgraded platform – but it was just that. An upgrade. I wanted something more….

The Sims Medieval!

I am a seasoned computer nerd. Hours playing God on my created families suits me down to the ground! But now I have been upgraded to The Watcher. However my many years of experience did not help me when it came to the historical version. I decided to get the Collectors edition of the game, which came with a lot of tat such as a poster and plastic badges, as well as some exclusive content you can download that I haven't yet had chance to look at. 

At first I was amazed at the drama of it all. The simple introduction video (that many players I am sure fail to watch it even once in haste to play the game) enthralled me. But the game play experience is more challenging than I could ever have imagined.

The game is centred on a series of Hero Sims, and rather than controlling them into your own destiny, you are directed through quests to actualize kingdom goals. Don’t confuse it with SimCity (my only purchase being the 4^th edition), it is more like the consol versions of the franchise, in the sense you don’t have the same autonomy on game play. But its soooooo much better!!

The way you can change the Sims appearance is intimidating rather than inspiring. I found myself just choosing a pre-created Hero Sims after my first, as the customization takes so long. I wanted to launch into the quests, where you control 1 or more of the Hero Sims through a series of goals to complete the quest. It is a lot more challenging than you may expect. I found myself using Google a lot more than I wanted to, and I would like to think most people who have a normal length of patience will find themselves doing the same.

The system of ‘buffs’ which are achievements feeling or emotions that effect focus are a lot more satisfying than the aspirations for Sims 2, and the quest points achieved that pay for the expansion of the Kingdom are challenging but a real achievement. Hours fly by like never before, with the reading effect of wanting to finishing the chapter before you put the book down.

My favourite Sims so far by a mile, but possibly not for the under 15’s. More challenging then if first looks it provides hours of entertainment for those willing to stick at it. The achievements are worth the wait, and even after 2 days of solid playing I haven’t go past the first level (a kingdom goal).

4.5/5 (the 0.5 lost for the stress of not being able to find items in the Bric-a-Brac scavenger hunt quest!!)

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie xx

Avatar 3D (2009)

Director: James Cameron
Studio: Dune Entertainment, Giant Studios, Ingenious Film Partners, Lightstorm Entertainment.
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Corporation
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 162 mins
Rating: 9/10

The must-see movie of 2009 still has a buzz 4 months after its release. The box office breaker, Avatar has well and truly secured its place in movie history.

Titanic’s director James Cameron has created a masterpiece in 3D that has helped millions of people around the world to escape from the mundane world. The planet of Pandora really does open up a magical box of colours in a never seen before 3D triumph.

The half-human half Na’vi creatures are stunningly beautiful in an alien kind of way, there iridescent blue skins providing a spectacle in themselves, not being lost within their beautifully and seemingly natural surroundings.

The narrative is also not lost to the special effects, with tales of love, preservation of sacred places and betrayal central in the plot line, and although they are not an innovate tale, I felt seduced by the fantasy of it all.

The hefty run time however did prove a little difficult, with attentions of the audience seemingly wandering around the half waypoint. Nonetheless, the battle scene of epic, fantastical value soon pulled viewers attentions back into the dream world.

The sense of community, love for each other and their environment displayed by the Na’vi tribe was truly moving and completely tangible with the 3D glasses allowing the audience to feel inside Cameron’s vision, and share the protagonist’s emotions at every stage.

Where as I was completely seduced by the world created, my partner felt disenchanted by the sight of me in truly ridiculous black framed sunglasses. Although a lot more sophisticated than the cardboard frames that have been provided at 3D screenings in the past, , they are not going to be the next big fashion accessory. On the other hand they did fit over my own frames easily and were comfortable so they are a lot more practical!

As a side note there has also been some cool merchandise launched in the way of interactive toys. It is a must-have purchase for any Avatar fan, the dragon figures being the most amazing. When an iTag is scanned via webcam on the Mattel website (which is provided with the toy) the character comes to life on screen in the background of you hand. I cannot explain the nerdy exhilaration you get from being admitted into Pandora’s universe. Two or more figures can even interact when scanned together. Happy Playing J

Overall, I give Avatar a 9/10. I am not ashamed to admit that I will be first in line to purchase it on DVD, and I am eagerly awaiting the rumoured sequel.

Rie xxxx