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I came across Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum and it reminded me of another book. If you look at the cover, you'll be able to tell too.

I love the blue hues, but when I first saw the cover it reminded me of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

Somewhat similiar, I'm sure I've seen ano ther book that looks like Amaryllis in Blueberry, but at this time I can't remember what the name is. That's going to actually bug me now, because I know the book, but can't remember it. It will come to be eventually though.

Dust City by Robert Paul Weston

Pages (Hardcover): 304 pages

Publisher: Razorbill

Released: September 30, 2010

Description: Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

His son, that's who.

Ever since his father's arrest for the murder of Little Red Riding Hood, teen wolf Henry Whelp has kept a low profile in a Home for Wayward Wolves . . . until a murder at the Home leads Henry to believe his father may have been framed.

Now, with the help of his kleptomaniac roommate, Jack, and a daring she-wolf named Fiona, Henry will have to venture deep into the heart of Dust City: a rundown, gritty metropolis where fairydust is craved by everyone and controlled by a dangerous mob of Water Nixies and their crime boss leader, Skinner.

Can Henry solve the mystery of his family's sinister past? Or, like his father before him, is he destined for life as a big bad wolf?

Review: There are many good things about the novel; the discrimination, the fairy tale elements, and the world. However, there is a problem with pacing. Henry's surroundings moved too quickly and the characters come in and out, which made me not really care for them. I wanted to know more, but due to the pacing, everything felt rushed and once I got into it, the scene changed.

Grade: 5.5 lines out of 10

A big thanks to Penguin Canada for providing me with a review copy of Dust City!

This is incredibly random, but every time I try to type fairy tale it comes out as fairy tail....the manga by Mashima-san.

Winners of Testimony!

The 5 lucky winners of Testimony by Anita Shreve are:

marjorie
jhs
moridin
sarahem
3 boys and an old lady

An email has been sent, if you don't reply back to me within 48 hours, the prize will go on the next person!

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Pages (Paperback): 304 pages

Publisher: Vintage

Released: March 14, 2006

Description: Kathy, Ruth and Tommy were pupils at Hailsham - an idyllic establishment situated deep in the English countryside. The children there were tenderly sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe they were special, and that their personal welfare was crucial. But for what reason were they really there? It is only years later that Kathy, now aged 31, finally allows herself to yield to the pull of memory. What unfolds is the haunting story of how Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, slowly come to face the truth about their seemingly happy childhoods - and about their futures. Never Let Me Go is a uniquely moving novel, charged throughout with a sense of the fragility of our lives.

Review: For the most part, this book was enjoyable. I liked learning about Hailsham and what how the kids were growing up. Seeing as it was a very structured but sheltered environment. The reason for Hailsham is known early on and it makes the ending somewhat lackluster during the talk with Miss Emily and Madame. The book is written well, but it was a little too long then it needed to be.

Grade: 6 lines out of 10

The movie, Never Let Me Go, is coming out soon and if you plan on reading the book I would stay away from the trailer. It kind of spoils the entire thing.

Eon by Alison Goodman

Pages (Paperback): 544 pages

Publisher: Firebird; Reprint edition

Released: August 31, 2010

Description: Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.

But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured.

When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.

Review: Eon isn't a new story, and yet, the plot, the Asian setting, and the characters were refreshing and fun to read. Eon's struggles were my favourite part, but also the most frustrating. I wanted her to open her eyes, but then again her situation kind of made that hard to do. The book does end in a critical moment, so you'll have to read Eona to find out what happens next. I can't wait!

Grade: 9.5 lines out of 10

Thank you to Penguin Canada for providing this book for review.

Testimony Giveaway!

~Giveaway is closed~

What do you get when you mix 5 Line Reviews, 5 copies of Testimony by Anita Shreve, and 5 lucky readers? You get my first giveaway hosted here and three 5s. ^_^

Description: At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

If you read my review, you'd know that I did enjoy this book, so I hope you guys do too! If you would like a chance to win Testimony by Anita Shreve, then all you have to do is the follow the rules below!

Rules:

1. Giveaway is open to those living in Canada and the US, no P.O. Box address please!
2. Giveaway will end on September 17 11:59pm EST and the winner will be announced the follow day.
3. To enter, please leave your name and email address.
4. For an extra entry, let me know what you'd do if someone caught doing something wrong on tape.


A big thanks to Hachette Books for letting me host this giveaway!

Testimony by Anita Shreve

Pages (Mass Market Paperback): 352 pages

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Reprint edition

Released: Aug 31, 2010

Description: At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

Review: Testimony is a book that I wanted to read for awhile now. Even though, I didn't like the twist about the unnamed boy and I hated what Sienna, the girl in the video, did, I did enjoy premise and the writing style. Each chapter was told by a different character, which was nice since it helped show how something like this can affect a multitude of people in complete different ways.

Grade: 7.5 lines out of 10