Numbers By Rachel Ward

Series: Numbers #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Release Date: November 8th 2008
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 2/5 Stars
Synopsis: Since her mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Jem has kept a secret. When her eyes meet someone else’s, a number pops into her head - the date on which they will die. Knowing that nothing lasts forever, Jem avoids relationships, but when she meets a boy called Spider, and they plan a day out together, her life takes a new twist and turn. Waiting for the London Eye, she sees everyone in the queue has the same number - something terrible is going to happen.

I did not like this book. I had reasonably high expectations since the premise sounded quite interesting but I actually found that the synopsis is very misleading. I fully expected the story to revolve around the London Eye tragedy that Jem knew was going to happen. I thought she'd do something to try and save the people there but I was very wrong. In fact, the only reason why the London Eye is mentioned is because she runs away from it, is spotted suspiciously running away and then goes on the run because running is apparently now illegal in Britain. Sure I understand why it might seem suspicious but it would've been explained away so easily! For example "I was late for a meeting," or "there was an emergency at home," but no, she goes on the run because they are of course going to blame a fifteen year old for a bomb attack because she happened to be running at the time.

One thing I found totally unbelievable was that people were recognizing them while they were on the run from a description that could fit anyone and a blurry CCTV camera.
This is the incriminating description:
“London is reeling after a massive blast ripped apart the London Eye…seven dead and many more injured…police are looking for two youths: one black and very tall, the other shorter and slightly built.”
That could be anyone but somehow everyone recognizes them.
Another thing that annoyed me about this book was how racist Britain was made to look. Sure there are some racist people here, like everywhere, but this book exaggerated it enormously. Spider was given dirty looks by everyone and automatically blamed for anything that happened, because he was black. I know it happens sometimes but they traveled halfway across Britain and it happened everywhere, I'm not sure that's accurate.

Ugh. I hated both characters. Jem was annoying, her cold behavior seemed way too forced and she was much to stereotypical. Spider was the same but male, their relationship was much too 'insta love out of necessity' for my liking. Jem's big gift seemed awesome at first but then it was boring. The gift seems more like a catalyst put there to begin the story nothing more. Spider's bad boy persona and actions was the same, just something to fill the pages and add substance to an otherwise flat story.

I really did dislike this book and I'm beginning to be put off the publisher, 'The Chicken House'. I never judge a book by it's publisher except this particular one. Of the five books I've read from this publisher I've hated all but one and that, in my opinion, is not good statistics. I may steer clear of it for a while. I would reccomend this book to people who don't mind huge plot holes and prefer fluff to substance. I can say for certain I will not be reading the next book, it's called Numbers 2 for goodness sake!

My Favorite Quote:
“My best day ever. Got up. Had breakfast. Came to school. Bored, as usual. Wishing I wasn't there, like usual."

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Blue Bloods By Melissa de la Cruz

Series: Blue Bloods #1
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Release Date: April 25th 2006
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 2/5 Stars
Synopsis: They're Young, Fabulous and Fanged. . . 
And they rule Manhattan from the trendy uptown clubs to the downtown boutiques. Fifteen-year-old Schuyler Van Alen has never quite fit in at her exclusive prep school - she's more of a vintage than a Versace girl - but all that's about to change. . . 
Because Schuyler has just found out she's a Blue Blood. The Blue Bloods are the city's glamorous - and secret - vampire elite. They're young, beautiful and powerful. But now they're being murdered. And Schuyler must find out who - or what - is behind it before she's next.

I really didn't like this book. I really didn't expect to like this book. I really wish I hadn't bought the next three in the series. Okay now all those really's are out of the way, more about this monstrosity of a book. This is the lowest rating I have given a book on this blog and here's why it got it. The entire plot was unbelievable and it wasn't all that enjoyable. Other books that I have given low ratings, like Undead by Kirsty McKay and Destined by P.C Cast all got 2 stars - these were originally my lowest rated books. What kept these from getting this low a rating was the fact that they were somewhat enjoyable. Blue Bloods however was not. The book follows Schuyler (Pronounced Skyler to save you the hassle of trying to work it out like I did) Van Alen, she's a loner and doesn't fit in at school (flash back to Twilight anyone?). When Schuyler finds out that she is a Blue Blood vampire everything begins to make sense, the blue veins that appeared on her arms, the sudden craving for raw meat. The only problem is that something is now murdering her newly discovered race and of course Schuyler had to find out who it is... or else she might be killed. And no one wants that.

Where can I even begin on the characters? I hated them all. Schuyler was unbearably flat and just plain boring. She was the typical 'replace a stereotype with another' type of character. To make her less girly, shallow and beautiful the author made her wear ugly clothes (to show she's not shallow I suppose) but still be unbelievably beautiful. I'm sorry but that's been done in... I don't know, how about ALL fairy tales. If she's described as plain and not pretty please keep her that way! I do not like huge revelations that the moment she puts on a pretty dress she becomes gorgeous. It doesn't happen! Another thing that annoyed me about her character was the fact that it changed so quickly. She went from shy-ish loner to modeling topless on a billboard - did I mention she's fifteen? What parents (or in her case grandparent) would let a FIFTEEN year old do that? in fact what modeling agency would authorize that? It must be against some kind of law. Other characters included the irresistible Jack Force who didn't seem that irresistible  He seemed very bland and had a downright creepy relationship with his sister Mimi. I do not want to know where that's going nor do I want to. Then there's Schuyler's best friend Oliver who was tolerable but then he kind of faded away. She would go about 6 chapters at a time without mentioning and he only appeared when he was needed for some kind of secret mission thing.

This book could've been so much better but it just didn't make it. The only reason that this wasn't a 1 star book was because I reserve that for unfinished books. What irritated me most about the book was just how unbelievable it was. The Blue Bloods somehow didn't realize that they were vamps until halfway through the book despite gorging themselves on raw meat like its normal. The reader was only told that the book was about vampires halfway through even though it tells us on the back cover of the book. The book seemed more like a fashion magazine than a fiction book most of the time because of the constant clothing descriptions and label dropping. I do not need to know what every character is wearing! The only thing I can applaud the author on is her effort to create a differant interpretation on the typical vampire book which I suppose she has done even if I didn't like her way of doing it. I am probably going to read the next few books in the series simply because I have them already... or I might give them to a charity shop. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless they are label obsessed and don't mind a plot less story with no action.

My Favorite Quote: 
“Black is the color of night. White is the true color of death”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK