The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release Date: April 2013
Pages: 416



From Goodreads: "To be opened in the event of my death

With one swift, vicious movement, she sliced the envelope open, and pulled out a handwritten letter.love you and the girls...
so sorry to leave you with this...
cannot bear

Review: The Boy Who Fell to Earth by Kathy Lette

The Boy Who Fell to Earth by Kathy Lette
Release Date: March 1st 2012
Publisher: Bantam Press
Pages: 320
Source: Borrowed from Jodie
Find it on Goodreads


My Rating:


From Goodreads: "Meet Merlin. He's Lucy's bright, beautiful son -- who just happens to be autistic. Since Merlin's father left them in the lurch shortly after his diagnosis, Lucy has made Merlin the centre of her world. Struggling with the joys and tribulations of raising her eccentrically adorable yet challenging child, (if only Merlin came with operating instructions) Lucy doesn't have room for any other man in her life.

By the time Merlin turns ten, Lucy is seriously worried that the Pope might start ringing her up for tips on celibacy, so resolves to dip a poorly pedicured toe back into the world of dating. Thanks to Merlin's candour and quirkiness, things don't go quite to plan... Then, just when Lucy's resigned to a life of singledom once more, Archie -- the most imperfectly perfect man for her and her son -- lands on her doorstep. But then, so does Merlin's father, begging for forgiveness and a second chance. Does Lucy need a real father for Merlin -- or a real partner for herself?"

Thanks for letting me borrow this one Jodie! You have really opened my eyes to a whole new genre for me!!

I'm really not sure where to start with this review. I guess I will start by saying that I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. I believe I even uttered the words "it is one of my new favourite books" to Jodie. I KNOW. That's big.

The Boy Who Fell to Earth is a wonderful combination of brilliant, witty, heart breaking, quirky, eye opening and funny. I could seriously throw all the adjectives around for this one. Kathy Lette is a genius. Yep. I said it. Genius.

Merlin is one of the most entertaining characters I have ever come across, and I read. A lot. He has Asperger's but this book is written in such a way that you don't feel sorry for him. He is so uniquely and genuinely him that you can't help but love and appreciate everything he says. His mind works so differently to mine that I often found myself thinking "why didn't I ever think about it that way?!" I am desperately wishing I had written down some quotes for you guys! Why didn't I do that?! Ugh how silly of me.

Now this story is more about Lucy, Merlin's mum, I found. It was written from her point of view. Lucy is struggling. She loves Merlin to no end but she doesn't know how to cope sometimes. He gets bullied in school but she can't afford to put him in a special needs school, and she was denied help from the government to do so. Her husband left not long after Merlin's diagnosis and ever since Lucy has been off men. There just isn't room for a man in her life when Merlin needs her so greatly. Only Merlin may not need her as much as she thinks. She coddles him too much, he is bright and smart but lacks in social skills which can often get him into a bit of a mess. I was really impressed with Kathy Lette's writing style. I liked that this was from the mothers point of view. It can't be easy having a kid with Asperger's and she finds herself wondering if she had done something wrong during her pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, Lucy loves Merlin, but it would be difficult to see your child struggle with Asperger's and Lette captures the essence if this greatly.

Things start to get real interesting in The Boy Who Fell to Earth when Archie shows up. Oh Archie, never have I found myself loving such a character. He is Lucy's cousins ex hubby, who is an Aussie (woop woop go us Aussies!) moves in with her because he needs a place to stay. He is a rock star, or well he used to be but he still holds the same beliefs that he did when he was one. He does nothing, I mean nothing around the house. He gives Merlin porn filled magazines among many other things. But he is great with Merlin. His first conversation with him had Lucy cringing to see what Archie's reaction would be but he brushes it off and makes a joke of it. He becomes an (interesting) father figure for Merlin and slowly captures the heart of Lucy. But with her ex husband just on the other side of her front door, she gets thrown around an emotional roller coaster.

A truly moving and quirky story that left me wanting more. This is a very new read for me, I generally try to steer away from adult books that have deep issues, from past experience I get too caught up in the sadness and end up bawling my eyes out. But this was a refreshing take on Asperger's taking a serious topic and giving it humor and love and all the things you could want in a story.

I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. If this isn't your typical read then I more than highly recommend it to you. It might open some new doors for you like it did for me! If you are a fan of John Green's quirky and beautiful writing, then this might be one that you like. See my review of An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

Have you read this? What did you think? Do you have any recommendations of books that are similar or have the same feel?

Happy reading!

Review: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Release Date: October 2012 (first published 2001)
Pages:336
Publisher: Canongate
Format: Movie tie-in paperback
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Find it: Goodreads | Collins (AU)| Dymocks (AU) |Book Depository (INT) | Amazon (INT)

My Rating: 

From Goodreads: "Pi Patel is an unusual boy. The son of a zookeeper, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior, a fervent love of stories, and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.

The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional-but is it more true?

Life of Pi is at once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character puts it, to make you believe in God."


See below the bump for my review :)

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Release Date: July 25th 2012
Pages: 376
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Find it: Goodreads | Collins (AU) | Dymocks (AU) | Book Depository (INT) | Amazon (INT)

My Rating:  

From Goodreads: "No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again."

My first review of the New Year! HELLOOOOO everyone!!! :D I hope that you all had an absolutely fabulous Christmas and New Year. I have not had a whole lot of time for reading the last couple of weeks. I work in a bookstore and my hours for Christmas were a little crazy. But none the less I had a great holiday period. How was yours?

Review: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer
Series: The Elementals #1
Published: April 1st 2012 (US), May 2012 (AU)
Publisher: Kensington (US) Allen and Unwin (AU)
Format: Paperback ARC, US edition
Source: Rebecca @ Reading Wishes
Find it: Goodreads | Collins | Dymocks | Book Depo | Amazon

My Rating: 5/5 Stars
(that's a total lie, more like 10/5 stars!!)

From Goodreads: "Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys all the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming"

I know I know!! I was incredibly late on the Storm band wagon. I KNOW. I seriously do not know why it took me so long to get my hands on it. I had only heard amazing things about it and I had been dying to read it for so long. It just so happened that I met up with Rebecca from Reading Wishes, who is so lovely she had stalked my goodreads page and saw that I hadn't read it. She had an extra copy so she gave it to me. wha?!! I think my eyes literally bulged out of their sockets. So thank you SO much Rebecca!! <3

Anyway on to the actual review, I apologise if it is all over the place, I'm still trying to organise my thoughts!

Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Release Date: June 7th 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: Received for review from Publisher
Collins | Dymocks | Book Depository

My Rating: 5/5 Stars.

From Goodreads: "Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love."

Firstly I would like to say a massive thank you to the lovely people at Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of this book for review purposes. This does not in any way alter my review or opinion of this book. 

I absolutely LOVED this book, I mean all caps LOVED. Morgan Matson is fast becoming one of my favourite YA contemporary authors. I adored Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, click the link to check out that review. After reading her first book I was seriously excited for Second Chance Summer, and it did not disappoint! 

Review: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

Released: February 14th 2004
Series: Midnighters #1
Publisher: Atom
Source: Library

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Oh my golly gosh. This book was awesome. If you could publish awesome, it would be in the form of this book. Big statement I know. But stay with me, because this book deserves much more attention!

Most of the YA community (in my experience) has read or at least heard of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. Don't get me wrong, I adored that series too. But this? This was on a whole other level.

Now the Uglies series is still awesome, but since reading the books, I have come across books that are similar in some ways. Delirium being one, which I feel is a combo of Uglies and Matched. They are not exactly the same but that had the same feel. ANYWAY. The Secret Hour? So original! At least in my opinion. 

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Release Date: September 27th 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: "Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong."
 There has been a lot of hype over The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, that is why I found myself putting this book off and off. I just couldn't bring myself to read it in case after all the hype, I didn't like it. I wish I had of read it sooner! This book was actually amazing. 
Michelle Hodkin has created a very unique story that has captivated the Young Adult crowd. There was a great deal of mystery with this book, most of the reviews I have seen didn't go into much detail because they 'couldn't' as it would spoil it. So now it's my turn to try and praise this book without spoilers...

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer... Where to start. Mara has lived an ordinary life, up until her friends die in an accident, of which she is the only survivor. The accident was in a place she was not meant to be, no one is meant to be, and even worse? She can't remember anything about the accident. 

Mara wakes up in hospital with her family around and some nervous looking nurses. Turns out Mara has a killer right hook. How is Mara supposed to go on without her very best and pretty much only friend? She doesn't know. 

Her family moves towns and Mara has to start in a new school, where she surprises herself and makes a new friend, Jamie. She also comes one of the popular boys, Noah, a total 'asscrown.' He just won't leave her alone and she doesn't know why. 

That's all that I will say about the plot, I don't want to give any of the good bits away! I will say a bit about the characters though.

Mara has been in a slump since the accident. She is very confused about the accident and has become pretty depressed. There is just so much going on in her head sometimes it's hard to concentrate. There are times when we as the reader are confused as Mara herself is confused. Mara is a great female lead to this story and Michelle Hodkin has portrayed her very well. 

Noah, dreamy dreamy Noah. He comes off as a bit of an 'asscrown' at the start, he won't leave Mara alone. As the story progresses though, Noah becomes so much more than an 'asscrown,' he becomes Mara's salvation. He cares for Mara, more than he has cared for other girls. He is just an all round amazing love interest. 

With many twists and turns, Michelle Hodkin has created a remarkably unique story that is both intriguing and thrilling. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer will have you guessing right up to the last page. 

What did you think of this one? 

Happy reading!
- Amy

Review: Legend by Marie Lu

*Check out my 300 follower giveaway for your chance to win!*

Legend by Marie Lu
Release Date: November 29th 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group
Edition: Paperback, 295 pages
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

My Rating: 5/5 stars

From Goodreads: "What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias' death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills."


I have been recommended this book on more than one occasion since its release in November and I finally picked it up with some Christmas money (before the book buying ban).

*Spoiler alert* Legend follows the story of June and Day, two people from opposite ends of the spectrum. June is one of the brightest kids, scoring the top most score on her test. Day on the other hand failed and was to never see his family again. For reasons unknown, Day is the Republic's most wanted criminal.  He does not carry guns, nor does he kill. That is until June's brother gets caught up chasing Day from a break in. Day is wounded and Metias wont give in. So in Day's last few minutes on consciousness he throws his knife. A killing blow, ripping June from her last living relative. 

June is the kind of smart that Brennan from Bones is, she isn't quite sure of the social standard and can come off like she is being a smart alec. She was bumped up to their equivalent of university by 4 years and graduates in half the time of any other student. 

Day is in hiding from the soldiers but he needs to take care of his family. The family he was forced to leave. He and his friend Tess are almost constantly together and watching his family. If his family gets the red cross on their door, it means they have the plague and are destined to die. One night Day sees his family's door get a red cross. But instead of the usual red cross there's has a line down the middle. Very strange. And this is where the story starts to get really interesting!

I found myself loving and hating both of the characters many times in this book. That is what makes this story so unique. In many books we love the two main characters or even just one of them the entire way through a story. But not Legend! Marie Lu has created a relationship between her readers and the two characters unlike anything I have experienced before, this is what makes Legend unique. 

Legend is fast paced and action filled. I finished it in one sitting, it was just too good to split over a couple! Marie Lu has left me pining away for more!

If you haven't already read Legend, I highly recommend it!

Happy reading!
- Amy

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

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Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Release Date: November 15th 2011 (however it is already available in Australia)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Edition: Paperback, 352 pages
Goodreads | Book Depository

My Rating: 5/5

Goodreads: "Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior."

You guys!!! This book was AMAZING! I get nervous to read a book that has had a lot of hype, but Shatter Me didn't let me down! I started this one in the morning and found myself not wanting to leave my house just so I could finish it all in one sitting. This is one of those books that captured my attention from the get go and held it the entire way, which if I'm honest, doesn't happen very often!

This book was made available in Australia before its US release date. This really surprised me since we generally don't get anything before the US, we are lucky to get something 4 months later! When I found out that it was already available in Oz, that was it. I was in my car and going to the shops. Though I couldn't find it the first time I looked, I went back a couple days later and there it was, I could barely contain my excitement.

Juliette is no ordinary girl, and she has had no ordinary life. She can't touch people. If she touches someone for long enough, they die. While she was growing up, she was shunned, kids at school were told to stay away from her. Her own parents didn't interact with her due to their fear. One day there is an.. Incident I guess you could call it without giving to much away. Juliette gets taken away from her parents, without any resistance from her parents. She gets locked up in an institution where she sees and speaks to no one. Left alone in the same room for 264 days while the outside world goes through many changes. I loved Juliette as a character, though she is vulnerable, she isn't helpless. This I really liked. She is vulnerable as a result of her situation but she will always be a strong hearted person.

In walks Adam. No really he literally walks in to the room she has lived in solitary for 264 days. Why? She doesn't know, all she knows is that she has seen those piercing blue eyes before. Finally realising they belong to the only person who wasn't cruel to her in school, who even defended her when she was picked on. Adam comes across as a total jerk when he re-walks into her life, but he becomes a character that I love, and you probably will too. Still sacrificing himself to save her, even when he discovers her terrible secret.

This book was beautifully written. I really felt like I was in the head of a confused girl who has never had human contact. Her thought processes were confused and some thoughts were even stricken through, when she would think upsetting thoughts. I have to admit this threw me at the start, I found it hard to read the sentences that were stricken through.  When editing hand written work I will strike through sentences that I change or don't like, so when re-reading I would skip over the crossed out material. In a way this is what Juliette does. If she thinks something horrible - "my parents gave me up. My parents love me." This is not an exact quote as I don't have my copy on hand at the moment, but you get the idea. Also Juliette repeated herself, she would get hooked on a word and repeat it, generally three times. Like she was trying to convince herself that what she was saying was true or convincing herself not to do something. This really added to her confusion. I thought this was a very powerful and unique writing style, I really felt that I was in the mind of the utterly confused and lonely Juliette's head. I don't think this book would have been as effective if it was written in the average way. It just wouldn't have capture the voice of Juliette otherwise.

Overall a really great read. Tahereh Mafi has come up with not only an original idea, but an original way to portray Juliette's story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves an engrossing read. I can't wait for the sequel to come out!!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

Happy reading!
- Amy