Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns…
Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they’ve been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.
Or not.

I had been curious to read Rampant ever since I discovered that, in addition to featuring killer unicorns and teenage huntresses, it also explores the themes of female sexuality and gender discrimination, all under the guise of an epic fantasy adventure.

17 year-old Astrid Llewelyn is dismissive for years of the warnings and ramblings of her mother, who proclaims the existence of unicorns and Astrid’s lineage of unicorn-slaying. However, a seemingly chance and violent encounter with a unicorn one evening convinces her otherwise, and suddenly Astrid finds herself being shipped off to Italy, along with several other teenage girls, to ‘fulfil her destiny’.

Despite common associations nowadays liking unicorns to cuddly, cute, sparkly little critters, Diana Peterfruend appreciates the history of the unicorn as a mythological creature, and applies this knowledge by burdening her cast of female characters with a centuries-old destiny/duty to fight mythical creatures typically associated with the idea of “purity”. The innate and understandable struggle that arises for protagonist Astrid, and her young comrades, is effectively drawn and admirable in its influence on the romantic sub-plots of the novel, which for once are refreshingly genuine and credible. Astrid’s attempts at a relationship with Giovanni, for instance, begin (very realistically) not with any notion of ‘true love’ but with sexual attraction, which eventually leads to actual affection and trust, and a difficult path for both parties to navigate, given Astrid’s new ‘profession’.

Of course, there is plenty of action and excitement to appeal to readers as well, but for me personally it was the moral and social debates contained within the novel that made Rampant such a worthwhile read. The characters are also dynamic and interesting: while it’s true that there are simply too many young huntresses to get to know them all intimately, some, such as the intense Cory and the vibrant (and tragic) Phil, are intriguing in their own right. As for villains – let’s just say that the real bad guys of the narrative are not at all who you expect, and the unicorns, despite appearances, prove to be creatures of immense fascination and even empathy, rather than mere murderous beasts.

I loved Rampant so much that I immediately followed on to its sequel, Ascendant, which proved just as addictive and emotionally engaging (many tears were shed!) While at present there is, sadly, no plans for a third instalment, I highly recommend The Killer Unicorn series to anyone who appreciates a gripping yarn, some highly personable female characters, and themes that deserve more recognition in YA fiction.

Rampant – Diana Peterfruend

Harper Teen

ISBN: 0061490008

402 pages

August, 25^th 2009

I barely brushed over the blurb on the back of the book when I picked this one up, and the cover art of the Aussie paperback isn’t something I would call remarkable, a pretty face and the title. *shrug* But I’d heard good things and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  Boy was I surprised.

“In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city’s most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.’s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she’s to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight–at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.”

The concepts in this novel were outlandish to me; WHO BANS CHOCOLATE?! I had at least 2 chocolate bars in commiseration for Anya and the rest of the people in this reality. (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.) In our current reality where binge drinking and premixed concoctions are killing people, the thought that minors could consume alcohol legally, but a mars bar was forbidden just blew my mind.

I don’t think you can really class this book as post-apocalyptic, because the world hasn’t technically been taken over by war, or famine, but with no chocolate it completely fits into the dystopian category. SERIOUSLY, WHO BANS CHOCOLATE?!

Everything old is new again in this modern Manhattan and New York City back drop. Vintage clothes are common, because making new clothes takes water, and there’s not a whole lot of water left. Society is definitely divided by class, and it seems almost circa 1920’s in the concepts of organized crime.

Gabrielle is a champion at giving her leading females a substantial dose of chutzpa (self-confidence) and her guys hold their own. Even the weakest character earns your respect with his ability to bend the rules, and yet he sits on the periphery like a bank of clouds. One false move and he’ll be a storm I don’t think even the Balanchines could weather.

The second book Because it’s my Blood should be on our shelves now; if not, it won’t be too far into the future.  I must admit I haven’t been this excited to read a sequel novel in a series since Brigid Kemmerer’s Storm came out earlier this year.

I kept trying to concoct a list of comparative books to give you an idea of the writing style, but as with quite a few of the YA books this year, there really isn’t much out there like this intelligent offering by Gabrielle Zevin.

If you’ve read it and loved it, what have you read that’s along the same lines? Help a girl out here.

Welcome to another one of my reviews! Today’s book is The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa!

The Iron Daughter is the second book in the Iron Fey series, the first being The Iron King, so I will try and do my best not too give away to much information, for you guys you haven’t started this series yet.

The Iron Fey series, is basically about an ordinary girl named Meghan Chase, who isn’t so ordinary after all. Her dad and her best friend aren’t who they seem, and neither is she. Finding out that she’s half fey changes her life forever. When Meghan’s little half brother is kidnapped by the Iron King, she has no choice but to follow him into the Fey world and try to rescue him. By her side and along for the adventure is her best friend Puck. On their journey they run into all different types of creatures and people, including one very special guy named Ash, the Winter Prince.

The only way to save Meghan’s little brother and let him return home, is if she stays in the Winter Kingdom. Deciding it is the only option, Meghan agrees.

Becoming Queen Mab’s (Ash’s Mother) prisoner, Meghan pleas her case, saying the Iron Kingdom is a lot stronger, and the war is just beginning. Mab doesn’t believe a word she’s saying. Even when the sceptor (something the Summer and Winter kingdoms pass back and forth whenever seasons are to change) is stolen. The Winter Queen disregards all the evidence leading to the Iron Kingdom trying to set the Season against one another.

Meghan doesn’t know how, but she knows she needs to do something to keep the war between the seasons from breaking out. She has to get that sceptor back, even if she loses her life trying.

The Iron Fey series started out rough for me, I didn’t find myself enjoying the first book. I felt like I was forcing myself to read it, just to get a review up, instead of actually enjoy the story and it’s characters. But deciding to give the series another try, I picked up The Iron Daughter and fell completely in love with it! I love that instead of being hard to pick up, it was hard to put down. After finishing every chapter, I kept promising myself, “this is the last chapter I’m reading tonight, and then I’m going to bed!” Before I knew it, I was half way through the book and it was 2 am.

I’m really glad I gave the series another go, and I would recommend for anyone who didn’t like the first one to try again on the second book. If you haven’t read the series yet, go pick it up, you’ll regret that you didn’t sooner!

I’ve never really thought of puberty for guys as anything more than some awkward moments in public and changing the sheets a little more often than before. In comparison to periods, boobs and the removal of body hair for girls, I think guys generally cop it sweet.

Can’t say I’d really want the concerns of the protagonist in the last e-book I read; Parallel by Christopher Kneipp. I somehow think Mark would beg for a little ‘normal’ public embarrassment and not the great whopping pile of responsibility he’s been dealt. Paranormal abilities and the title of ‘World’s Hope‘ is just the tip of the slippery slope.

“Mark will be 16 soon but his birthday is the least of his worries. He has just found out a secret. His mother is not his mother, his father is not his father and the Earth is not his home.

In the shadow of an unseen enemy Mark is taunted by dreams and the harrying of his enemies growing army.

With the help of his best friend Matthew and new ally, the half-elven girl Angelie, he must escape this world. He must fight to get back home to the parallel world, Quell, where new dangers await and the hopes and expectations of all Worlds rests on his shoulders.

But on Quell he will find that a world away is not far enough to escape the reach of his own Parallel, Tyrren.”

I had the pleasure of reading this fantastic jaunt through the imagination of Christopher Kneipp. His character depictions are strong and the world building is quality stuff.

Mark evolves throughout the story from a teen with a bit of a chip on his shoulder to a somewhat more level headed young man. I guess having not one, but two worlds, relying on your latent skills would do that to anyone. Step up or get out of the way.

As for the evil nemesis, Tyrren is up there with Ghost Face for frustration factor. He’s bad, he’s demented, he’s obsessive and single minded in his desire to become immortal. His actions are hateful and Mark needs to question his morals to be able to put a stop to Tyrren’s horrid tirade.

Though I haven’t been to the Blue Mountains or any of the landmarks mentioned in Parallel, through all five senses we are grounded both in this reality and that of Quell. I can just about smell the air, and feel the ambience by the detailed descriptions as Angelie, and Mark make their way through the story.

This is book one of a trilogy and there are likely to be many more long nights and bags of jelly babies to come for Mark and his friends. I look forward to reading more.

Published December 15th 2011 by Christopher Kneipp on Smashwords

*Wipes away tears*

Hello, *sniffles* and welcome to my review of We’ll Always Have Summer, by Jenny Han. This is the third and final installment in the Belly Conklin Summer Series. The first thing I always tell people is, yes the title of the first book is a little cheesy (“The Summer I Turned Pretty”) but this series is AMAZING for the summer! Once you pick up the first book, I can’t promise that the series will last you very long! From my own personnel experience I tried to read as slow as possible and savor every page, making the story last…but I couldn’t help myself and finished it in less than two days!

(*note to self, read more Jenny Han books*)

We’ll Always Have Summer takes place two years after It’s Not Summer Without You leaves off. Belly and Jeremiah have been dating ever since, they both attend the same college, and neither can wait for finals to be over! Why? Because once finals are over, schools over, meaning summer is here, which ultimately means they get to go back to their beloved beach house.

But before their departure, at an “end of the year” party hosted by Jeremiah’s Frat brothers and Sorority sisters, the two get into a huge argument. Belly ends things between them. She never thought he would do something this horrible to her, and hurt her this much. Belly never thought her Jeremiah would cheat on her…

When Jeremiah finally apologizes, he pulls out a small box out from his pocket, and when he opens it, Belly can already see what’s inside…a ring. Getting to his knees, Jeremiah proposes to her. Saying I do, does not only mean she forgives him, but also seals her future with him. Maybe.

Belly’s mom and Susannah (the boys’ mom) always knew Belly would marry a Fisher, but which one? They weren’t sure.

We’ll Always Have Summer had my jaw to the floor throughout the entire story! I couldn’t believe the ending and the decision Belly made, as to who she wants to spend the rest of her life with. This series is the perfect way to end your summer, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a light and lovey dovey, yet drama filled summer read!