Book Review: In Search of Lucy by Lia Fairchild

Reviewed by: Marianne
Format: Paperback
Pages:  294
Published:  28th Feb 2012
Publisher: Createspace
Source:  Author for Review
Genre:  Women's Fiction, Romance
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Description:

Lucy Lang's life is spiraling out of control. For years she sacrificed her own needs to care for her half sister and alcoholic mother, only to be abandoned by both. Now, at age 30, Lucy finds herself held back by memories and regret as she struggles to find her own purpose in life. But when her sister needs a kidney transplant, Lucy is the only one who can save her life.

With the help of new friends and a man who won't give up on her, Lucy sets out on a journey to reunite with her sister and find the answers she so desperately needs. Can she get past her emotions and have a chance at happiness? With its colorful and endearing cast of characters, In Search of Lucy takes readers on a rollercoaster of emotions from sadness and heartache to happiness and hope

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Desert Angel by Charlie Price

Reviewed by: Marianne
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
Published: 2nd Feb 2012 (UK)
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Source: Publisher for Review
Genre: YA Thriller
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Description:

He is waiting...He is watching...He will hunt her down. Angel is on the run. Her mother is dead, her body buried in a shallow grave by her latest boyfriend, Scotty, a ruthless, illegal hunter who is prone to violence and who now wants Angel dead before she can talk to the police. Angel has lived through more than a young girl should have but she's determined to stay alive. But in the scorching heat of the open desert, where can she hide?

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In Darkness by Nick Lake

Reviewed by: Marianne
Format: Hardback
Pages:  352
Published: 5th Jan 2012
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Genre: YA Fiction, Historical
Source: Publisher for Review
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Description:
In darkness I count my blessings like Manman taught me. One: I am alive. Two: there is no two. In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake a boy is trapped beneath the rubble of a ruined hospital: thirsty, terrified and alone. 'Shorty' is a child of the slums, a teenage boy who has seen enough violence to last a lifetime, and who has been inexorably drawn into the world of the gangsters who rule Site Soleil: men who dole out money with one hand and death with the other. But Shorty has a secret: a flame of revenge that blazes inside him and a burning wish to find the twin sister he lost five years ago. And he is marked. Marked in a way that links him with Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Haitian rebel who two-hundred years ago led the slave revolt and faced down Napoleon to force the French out of Haiti. As he grows weaker, Shorty relives the journey that took him to the hospital, a bullet wound in his arm. In his visions and memories he hopes to find the strength to survive, and perhaps then Toussaint can find a way to be free .

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Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey

Reviewed by: Marianne
Format: Arc Paperback
Pages: 407
Published: 5th Jan 2012
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Genre: YA Fantasy, Romance
Source: Author for review
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Description:

Wilde Island is in an uproar after the recent death of its king. The uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is fraying, and a bloodthirsty witch hunter with a hidden agenda whips villages into frenzies with wild accusations. Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, finds herself caught in the crosshairs of fate when she is accused of witchery and has to flee for her life along with her two best friends. Not even Tess’s power to see the future can help the girls as they set off on their desperate journey, but she keeps having visions of a man wielding a sword. And when she finally meets him, Tess has no idea how to handle the magnetic attraction she feels for him, or the elusive call she hears from the heart of the Dragonswood. In this epic romance, an ancient prophecy comes true in a way neither dragon, fairy, nor human would have predicted.

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Oriana's Eyes (Great Oak Trilogy #1) by Celeste Simone

Format: Paperback
Pages: 268
Published: 24th Feb 2010
Publisher: iUniverse, Incorporated
Source: Author
Genre: YA Fantasy


Description:

As a pure-blood Winglet, Oriana isn't supposed to look at a half-blood much less speak to one. Half-bloods are the lowest of all races at Odon's University, because they are half Winglet and half Finlet. But when a half-blood, Dorian, locks eyes with her in the hallway, Oriana can't help but be intrigued by his daring nature. After sneaking out to the garden in the middle of the night to talk to him, Oriana knows she can't let her feelings go. She fears not following Odon's rules, but the more she sees Dorian the more she wants to break them all. When Oriana's idea of perfection crumbles she seeks a way out of the imprisoning University that threatens not only her happiness, but her very life. Dorian promises he has a plan to take her far away, but Oriana doubts they can escape Odon's all-seeing eye. Oriana isn't sure what she fears more, being stuck in the University or finding out what lies beyond its walls.

Review:

Living in a world that goes against everything you believe in, is difficult for anyone.  Oriana knows something is just not right, and the struggle she faces in this book, is nothing short of heart wrenching. With every setback she encounters from the mysterious Odon holding her back, it takes the true love from an unexpected source to make her realise that life doesn't always go the way you expect it to.

Reading this book, I felt compelled to shout at Oriana both to warn her of the dangers ahead, and, to make her see that she wasn't alone. It did take a while to get into, but once i did it was nothing short of amazing.  The highs and lows faced by the characters, bring out the emotional turmoil that everyone faces in their daily lives, reminding them that there is that light at the end of the tunnel.

I would most certainly recommend this book to anyone, and everyone. In the times of today where people lose sight of the most important things, this book is a true reminder that everything can be overcome by faith and determination.

Rate: 4/5

★★★★

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