Review ~ You Don't Know Me - Sophia Bennett

Paperback won in Goodreads, First Reads giveaway

Release Date: 6th May 2013

Publisher: Chicken House

Description:

Sasha, Jodie, Nell and Rose never expected to be famous. They didn’t want to be. In fact, they wanted to keep their band a secret because it’s what they do when they’re being stupid together – dressing up and singing cheesy songs.

But someone has stolen a video they made. It’s online, and it’s been entered into a talent competition. And what’s more … it’s got 24 votes. In only a few hours it’s got 24 votes.

The girls are about to be faced with a big decision that could make them seriously famous.

Just not necessarily the way they hoped …

My Opinion

I was extremely excited when I won this book as not only was it the first ever Goodreads giveaway for me to have won but also the cover really caught my eye in a soft, subtle way. When I received it in the post I was even more thrilled and couldn't wait to start reading You Don't Know Me. The blue edged pages also helped intrigue me.

You Don't Know Me is a realistic and relatable book that highlights the concept of making tough decisions under pressure, the impact of the media, talent shows and the issue of cyber bullying in the ever expanding world of social networking. The writing really makes you think about what you say, even if you don't know the person and I could relate to the situations well. As well as this the characters were believable and the relationships were created well, especially as they changed. You could really see the connection between the girls. I also liked how the book was written from Sasha's point of view. She was supposedly the 'villain' who cause her friend to be dropped (I won't reveal which one it is though) so I thought it was interesting how the author used her to tell the story of how everything impacted her and the backlash she received rather than the other girl.

I must admit that I did find this book very slow to begin with and in all honesty I didn't think I would get to the end. I'm not sure why it was but the start just didn't hook me or engage me enough to keep my interest for more than five - short - chapters at a time. Due to this fact, You Don't Know Me did take me a lot longer to get through than I first anticipated. However, the second half of the book did get better and it hooked more. It was about the last third that really kept me turning pages though and I think this was down to the fact that a romantic element was established more, while the girls seemed to gang up on the TV show. Personally I feel that this section was more lighthearted and I think that's why I enjoyed it more as it wasn't full of sad thoughts. Saying this though the way the romances ended really annoyed me. I was like "what was the point in putting it in there just to do that?!" and because it was my favourite bit I did feel let down by the lack of development.

One character I did really like though was Elliot. I know he wasn't in it much but his crush on Sasha was sweet and  found his geeky shyness cute. As well as this he was slightly comical and lightened up the book in the few moments he appears. With regards to the other characters I'm not sure anyone stood out. I could relate to their situations and empathise with their emotions however for me they did seem to just be standard characters and nothing had the wow factor that made me love or hate them. They were believable in their friendship but that was the only level I connected with them, I was never routing for either of them to win, get back together etc.

Another thing I liked about this book was the modern setting. The references to music, artists and bands were mainly modern and therefore not only added to the believablity but also helped me engage with the book as I knew who they were talking about and what songs they were listening to. I also liked the behind the scene access to the talent show. We all know what they are like and this book presented the reality rather than glossy the image producers try to portray. The only thing I didn't find convincing was the fact that the girls didn't know a lot about the technology. I mean Sasha didn't even know what privacy setting were on Interface (like Facebook) and for me it just didn't seem right considering their age. Most teens I know of know their way around technology better than adults and can pick up a new device and figure it out within minutes. Due to this it just didn't seem convincing to me.

Overall You Don't Know Me started slowly but it does build in pace and excitement that gets you turning pages again. It deals with issues sensitively and create a realistic plot that leaves you able to empathise with the characters along their journey. Fans of contemporary books may want to check this out.

                                 

Review ~ Acid - Emma Pass

Paperback received via Corgi (Random House Children's Publisher) in a Goodreads, first reads giveaway

Release Date: April 25th 2013

Publisher: Corgi (Random House Children's Publisher)

Description
2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.

My Opinion

It was the cover that drew me to enter the giveaway for this book. It looked like a kick-ass, action packed novel that is something I would usually read. As well as this the girl on the front led me to believe in a strong, independent, female protagonist which I love in a book and that's exactly what I got.

Acid starts off introducing Jenna as the only female in a maximum security prison and although this seemed a little weird it was interesting, especially when it became evident Jenna could handle herself in a fight and that people learnt the hard way not to mess with her. She started off really strong and the intrigue of why she was there - although quickly cleared up - hooked me into the fast pace start. Jenna was tough and strong but had moments of vulnerability, even if she didn't let others see. I really liked the action at the start and because of it I found myself quickly enthralled in the futuristic world created by Emma Pass.

I thought the book would continue along these lines, especially when she escapes and goes on the run. I thought we would really see Jenna come into her own at that point and fight for her life however after the initial escape things started to loose their impact for me. Jenna lost her kick-ass quality and her edge that made me like her to begin with. She conforms to this totalitarian regime with LifePartners and although she disagrees with it, she is more worried about being caught than doing anything. This made up most of the middle of the book and although it was interesting and engaging I felt Jenna's character left a lot to be desired for as it started off so well. I was just expecting more from her.

Thankfully towards the end Jenna did find her fighting spirit again and although she didn't seem as tough to me I was glad that she was once again fighting. For me this book had a strong start and finish but the middle was a bit weak in terms of character development.

As for the world created by Pass it was a nice change to read a book set in England rather than the US for once. I could actually picture things and understand where places were geographically. I've read so many books where issues are centred in America and it was great to read one in a different location. As well as this the totalitarian regime run by ACID was really intriguing. The system was constructed well and I liked how newspaper reports were dispersed throughout the book, I thought it was a really original idea and added the extra emphasis on the control held by ACID. 

One problem I did have with the futuristic world was the technology. Weapons like 'pulse guns' were used by ACID agents and I can't remember ever being fully told what they were. I know they needed charging so I thought it was like a taser but when it stated they kill the person and Jenna uses a taser instead, it left me a little confused as to what the difference between it and a normal gun was. As well as this other tech like Komms confused me slightly. Although this was easier to understand due to the concept I feel a little more description on what they look like and work was needed to gain a better understanding of the new world.

However besides this the plot was really engaging with plenty of action to keep my interest. It moved at a fast pace and I really didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. I just wish Jenna didn't turn so feeble in the middle so I could rate it 5 stars. I know there is a valid reason - which I won't reveal - but personally I wanted more ass-kicking Jenna.

The other characters surrounding Jenna were normally brief meetings and due to that I never really engaged with anyone other than Max. I didn't mind this however though because it fitted in with the fast pace, on the run nature of the book to make it more believable. As well as this the slight romance was a nice addition and I liked how it wasn't the main focus. Yes there were LifePartnerings but there was never any love so it didn't make Jenna's character vulnerable.

Overall this was a really enjoyable read that I had a hard time putting down. Yeah I would have liked Jenna to not lose her fight but that didn't stop it being hard to put down. There was a load of action and the plot was carefully constructed to create a believable world and although the ending was slightly predictable, and some of the secrets I guessed before they were revealed I still found myself hooked all the way through. I would really recommend this book and I'm glad I won a copy!