True Calling By Siobhan Davis

Title: True Calling
Author: Siobhan Davis
Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction
Publication: July 28th 2014
Pages: 410
Source: Copy From The Author Via Netgalley
Rating: 5/5

~Author Site~

Planet Novo, nestled in space twelve hundred miles above the surface of the Earth, is the new home of 17-year-old Cadet Ariana Skyee. Confused by the government-sanctioned memory erase and distressed at her impending forced marriage and motherhood, Ariana's plans for the future are thrown into complete disarray.

As the traumatic events within her family life enfold, Ariana becomes increasingly alarmed at the authorities' apparent preoccupation with her and feels progressively more isolated and alone.

Her growing feelings for fellow Cadet Cal Remus intensify as the recently announced e-pageant, 'The Calling', gets underway. Struggling to comprehend the continuous, inexplicable dreams of the mysterious Zane, discovering the past helps shape her future, with devastating personal consequences.

When I first came across this book I automatically wanted it. The cover is one of the best I have ever seen, mainly because I love science fiction. What made me want it even more was the synopsis of the book. The storyline is something I've never quite seen before. Many science fiction books I have read tend to revolve around the top selling ones, but not this one. Before reading the book I had my thoughts and ideas on what the book would be like, but after reading it, it was even better than I thought. 

Although the book is science fiction, it also included romance. I don't generally like it when authors include romance in science fiction, but it really does work in this book. The book takes a twist on your average love story, which is what I liked most about it.

One of my favourite parts in the book was The Calling. The Calling is basically a T.V show in which all 17 year old's on Novo take part in. The government, along with the public, vote on who they want you to marry. I think the reason I liked it so much is because parts of it remind me of shows on earth. I think The Calling could be a real show if our governments were mad enough.

I really liked how Novo was described. A world that resembles earth but is advanced in technology, sounds like my dream word. That was until I read further and seen what the word is really like. If it were a social network, it would have no privacy settings.

My favourite character was Ariana. She was so well developed, at times I felt like I knew her. Ariana's character is a bit different from the rest on planet Novo. When I say different, I mean she could remember a boy from earth, Zane. She also had a good knowledge of how Novo isn't what it seems. In the book she mentions how Novo looks too perfect.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is by far one of the best books I have ever read. From the moment I got it, I couldn't stop reading it. I would recommend you read this book as soon as possible. I really do think it is going to be huge. I think I will be adding Siobhan Davis to my list of favourite authors. I really can't wait for the second book.

The Outsiders By S.E. Hinton

Title: The Outsiders
Author: S.E Hinton
Genre: Young Adult
Publication: Puffin Books
Pages: 192
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5

~Waterstones~

According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.

I first came across this book in Waterstones. I wasn't too sure if I would like it or not, but I bought it anyway's. At first, the book wasn't what I expected in terms of the story. I was expecting two gangs fighting all the time.... the end. But it wasn't. The characters were very realistic. Every character seemed to have their own story and emotions throughout the book. 

I think most of the greasers are portrayed as rough. Although some greasers are a little rough, people like Ponybody aren't like that and are judged by his gangs reputation. In the book we see Cherry who is a soc, look past the reputation that has been forced on Ponybody and tries to see his true side. I also liked how even though the greasers are seen as non-human like, they were able to perform a courageous act when the children needed to be saved. 

The book was filled with lots of events. The main events were the murder, the fire, the rumble and the police chase at the end. In my opinion I think the book was slightly based around the rumble. The rumble for me was the best part, mainly because we were told about it through the book and it was finally happening. Most of the sad parts in the book were after the rumble. Mainly to Johnny and Dally.

One of the best parts of the book was how realistic it was. When I say realistic I mean in the situations and emotions that the characters are put in. The book shows how a group of people (greasers) can be shun by the community because of the way they look, live and who they are friends with. In today's world, the same events happen. This book was published in 1967 and was written by a sixteen year old girl, so obviously not much has changed since then. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I can't think of one thing I didn't like about it, which is odd for me. No matter what you think of this book, I think you should go and buy it or regret it.

Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck

Title: Of Mice And Men
Author: John Steinbeck
Genre: Novella/Young Adult
Publication: Penguin Books 
Pages: 103
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5

~Waterstones~

Streetwise George and his big, childlike friend Lennie are drifters, searching for work in the fields and valleys of California. They have nothing except the clothes on their back, and a hope that one day they'll find a place of their own and live the American dream. But dreams come at a price. Gentle giant Lennie doesn't know his own strength, and when they find work at a ranch he gets into trouble with the boss's daughter-in-law. Trouble so bad that even his protector George may not be able to save him.

I was first introduced to this book in school, it didn’t really look appealing and it was badly explained by a teacher. But as we all find out at one stage, never judge a book by its cover and teachers are always right. Taking the last point into account, I really enjoyed this book. The book was different from the sort of books I usually read, mainly its setting and story. I really liked how most of the characters (including the main ones) had different sides. One minute you think someone is very friendly, kind and caring and the next minute you see them in a different light. The book takes a great twist on what we call 'Likeable' characters.

I found the book to be quite slow within the middle. Although there was a lot of things happening, I just found them being in the same location the whole time to be off putting, but after about thirty pages it begins to pick up. 

The relationship between George and Lennie is what I would define as a friendship, even though they are cousins. They have a close bond which is described within the book. Although it felt like I was supposed to feel pity for Lennie, I felt more pity for George. For most of the book, George is alienated from the rest of the group because he has to care for Lennie. Yes, George has been asked to watch over Lennie but it is stopping him from living his life. I found that George started to enjoy his life on the ranch, it is a time in the book where we see George at his happiest. As I thought near the start of the book, Lennie would soon come to ruin it for George, which was actually the most shocking and eventful part of the book. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book, especially George and Lennie's relationship. As I said before, this book is a little different. It is set on a ranch and the terms used within the book are very old, mainly because the book is set in the 1930's. I would, however, recommend that you read this book if you are looking for something different from your usual read. This book will leave you speechless.