"Dreaming Anastasia" by Joy Preble [4 1/2]

Anastasia Romanov,

the daughter of the last Tsar of Russia,

is believed to be dead by the world, but she is alive,

and when she sleeps, she dreams ...

Anne Michaelson

doesn't know much about Russian history; she is

more worried about getting into a good college.

But then the dreams start ...

In her dreams Anne is somewhere else. She is someone else.

The dreams seem as real as her waking life, and they terrify her.

Then a stranger offers to explain them - a boy who by

all appearances is her age. He claims he has been waiting for someone who can help save Anastasia. And through him, Anne sees: you don't need to be imprisoned to be trapped.

Irish said to me you'll just love this cover Legs ... well she was right, it is just beautiful and looking closely you'll see an image of Ethan with his stunning blue eyes. The second book is just as beautiful ... yes there is a next installment called "HAUNTED" coming early 2011.
So the cover drew me first followed closely by the write up from the back cover ... it sounded very intriguing. I love the idea of taking a story about Anastasia Romanov and the Russian history and blending it with a story of now. But did it live up to this idea?

So the main three characters of this novel are Anastasia, Anne and Ethan with a supporting role from Tess, Anne's best friend. Each of these characters were strong in their own individual ways and complemented the story. The author has given each character a chapter so you don't get confused with what's going on and it's good to read from the male point of view. Anastasia has written letters to her family and through this you get the background information you need to know about the magic in the novel and what happens to her. The blending of past and present was really well done and you do get a sense of Anastasia's history. Our handsome male hero is swoon worthy and our heroine is coming up to scratch with her destiny and her new abilities.

But ... I did feel like the author rushed the ending of the novel just a little. I was hoping for Anne to do something more with her powers and perhaps more to develop between Ethan and Anne, sadly not to be ... at least at this stage. I don't know if the next book continues off from where this one left of, or if it's another character altogether?

This is a book that you'll really enjoy and it reads really well, you won't want to put it down until your finished. There are a couple of swear words in it so I'd probably not recommend to under 15's. It's a novel about LOVE. MAGIC, and the POWER of DREAMS.

I rate this book 4 1/2 stars

Unwind by Neal Shusterman (5)

In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would 'unwind' them.

Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together through desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing all the while that their lives are hanging in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthdays, they can't be harmed. But when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away...Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life - not just where it begins and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.

I purchased this because: I saw it on a book blog ages ago and it has been on my TBR for ages ...

Opening lines: "There are places you can go," Ariana tells him, " and a guy as smart as you has a decent chance of surviving to eighteen."

OH MY GOSH .... I love this book ..... and I think I have fallen in love with a new author ... I have already ordered other books by Neal Shusterman ... And I blame him for my bags under my eyes for making me stay up to the lil hours of the morning reading ....

The cover for this book is brilliant ... I have the first cover with all the body parts connecting ... It is sooo clever ... From the moment I read "The Bill of Life" at the front I knew this book was going to be interesting ... What did I love about this book .... Literally everything .... I loved how each chapter was dedicated to one of the characters .... Brilliant ... It gives you a real sense of how each character felt not just the one character telling the story ...

Basically the book is set in the United States where a war has just ended over the issue of Abortion ... Where a comprise is found on both sides stating that abortion is outlawed, and there is a place for every baby, wanted or not, either at one of the State Homes or on the doorstep of other families, who are legally obligated to take care of each of these "storked" Babies.

That is, until they are thirteen, at this point, any children who are unwanted can be, effectively, retroactively aborted. They're not exactly killed but instead have their body parts live on, thanks to medical advances that enable every single body part, from your hair to your feet to your internal organs. Can and will be donated to others who need them. So from the ages of 13 to 18, millions of children are at risk of undergoing this procedure, of becoming literally "UNWOUND"

So faces the dilemma of three teens ... Who for different reasons find themselves in the awful position of being "unwind" .... I fell in love with each of this three characters and got totally drawn in by their stories ...

How much is a life worth? .... And how far as a human race are we willing to go? .... Neal Shusterman will have you pondering and glued to your seat until you finish this novel ... And to think that parts of this story is based on facts is really scary .... This is a very thought-provoking book and will have you thinking about it for days and weeks to come ... I know my copy of the book as lots of post-it notes throughout .... Definitely one of the top reads for this year for me ... Highly recommend it ....

Some of my favourite quotes ( And there where loads :) ) ...."First rule of motherhood, dearie: Men are screwups. Learn it now and you'll be a whole lot happier" Pg 63

"You can be anyone you want to be now" Pg 90

"Unwinds didn't go out with a bang - they didn't even go out with a whimper. They went out with the silence of a candle flame pinched between two fingers" Pg 95

"How could it, when Unwinds aren't really dead?" pg 124

"Of course, if more people had been organ donors, unwinding never would have happened ... but people like to keep what's theirs, even after they're dead. It didn't take long for ethics to be crushed by greed. Unwinding became big business, and people let it happen" Pg 224

"It's amazing that something as simple as a kiss can overpower The worst of worries" Pg 234

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity: and I'm not sure about the universe" Albert Einstein Pg 315

I rate this book 5 ***** - And if I could rate it more I would :)

New Challenges ..... Bring them on ...

Well it has been a while since we updated our challenges .......... So here are some new challenges that we will be doing this year .......



This is a fun wee challenge that starts at the beginning of July and ends at the end of October ... As ever there is a range of how many books you wish to complete ...

Here is the rules: ...

5 Point Challenges

Read a chick lit book

Read a name with a proper name in the title

Read a historical fiction book

Read a book with a one word title

Read a book made into a movie

10 Point Challenges

Read a book with a Civil War theme (any country)

Read a Biblical fiction book

Read a hardcover book

Read a book about a king or queen

Read a book set in France

15 Point Challenges

Read a book by an author you’ve never read before

Read a biography or autobiography

Read a book with a number in the title

Read any book and then post a review

Read any book but read it outside

20 Point Challenges

Read a book in a series AND the one after it

Read a book that was a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

Read a book considered Christian fiction

Read a book from The Modern Library Top 100

Read a book by an author born in July, August, September or October

I am excited about this one ..... And at the moment going to do the 5 book challenge with Legs .... Let me know Girls if you wish to join in ...

Irish's Books

1) Unwind by Neal Shusterman

2)

3)

4)

5)

Legs Books

1) Alphabet Weekend by Elizabeth Noble.

2) Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

3) The Counterfeit Guest by Rose Melikan

4) Ironside by Holly Black

5) Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez