Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

           

                I remember reading Girl, Missing years ago when it first came out in 2006, and absolutely loving it; however, I never even began to consider it as having ‘sequel potential’ – much like Finding Nemo, Beautiful Malice and The Graveyard Book, there could not be less call for a sequel, other than to ring in the cash cow; so it was dubiously that I accepted this news, and even more so when I ordered it from my library.

                I was pleasantly surprised. The highlight of Girl, Missing was, for me, the unpredictability, and this is where Sister, Missing fell a little flat for me as I guessed at least half of the twists quite a while before they occurred, whereas I did not with its predecessor (although I was a lot younger at the time!). I love McKenzie’s writing – it’s rather simplistic but wonderful at the same time, and a joy to read.  I like the cover – it’s very striking, although it took me a while to fully work out what the illusion is and the Lauren on the cover in no way matches what I perceive her to look like, though that may just be me.

Our characters are fleshed out even further than they were in the original, and my major complaint is that it was too short - I felt a lot more could have been elaborated on as I felt a bit overwhelmed at the pace. It’s wonderfully gripping and awfully heartwrenching, but I wholeheartedly recommend it; though you should definitely pick up Girl, Missing first to ingratiate yourself with Lauren’s story prior to the events of this novel, which is in my opinion better, though that’s not to say this isn’t a worthwhile read.

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[SYNOPSIS: It's two years after the events of Girl, Missing and life is not getting any easier for sixteen-year-old Lauren, as exam pressure and a recent family tragedy take their toll. Lauren's birth mother takes Lauren and her two sisters on holiday in the hope that some time together will help, but a few days into the holiday one of the sisters disappears, under circumstances very similar to those in which Lauren was taken years before. Can Lauren save her sister, and stop the nightmare happening all over again?]

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Darkness Becomes Her was very interesting, and this was probably its saving grace. Our focus is on Ari, an orphan who’s always felt alone since her mum committed suicide aged just 21; in fact, it seems a reoccurring pattern with the females in her family…So when she finds a letter warning her of the danger she is in from her deceased mother, she has no other option than to run, and find out what from. Her search leads her into more danger than she can ever imagine, revealing more of the world than she thought possible…

Darkness Becomes Her features a lot of paranormal and mythology to further the story and add to its intriguing – with vampires, witches and a fair amount of Greek mythology…which is butchered, yet again –  Athena was the goddess of tactical warfare, not war in general – that was Ares! And though of course I am open to modern interpretations of how she would change and act there is no way she would drop the f-bomb or act the way she does in the book. Those are my main complaints with how Keaton handled this aspect of the book, which, without giving too much away is a pretty major part, and caused me to not enjoy Darkness Becomes Her as much as I would have liked, though I don’t suppose it would annoy people who weren’t Greek mythology nerds like myself.

I did mostly like it, as it was fairly gripping but we have an awfully lacking instaromance, lacklustre writing and an unlikable heroine who’s supposed to be ‘sassy’ but is more annoyingly stupid, and accepts the existence of the paranormal creatures with little-to-none questions or freak out moments. I don’t really get the need for the teal eyes and silver hair – it only contributed to Ari feeling isolated with no other reason, nor why twenty one was the chosen age, though I hope this is explained in the sequel, which I probably won’t read.

All in all, I didn’t really enjoy Darkness Becomes Her – it felt far too rushed, as though Keaton had been given a week to write it and didn’t plan much beforehand or make much effort to make events flow, although I can see others enjoying it.

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[SYNOPSIS: Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers a message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.]

In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and is my first ever meme where you share all the books you received during the week whether it be from the library or in the mail post.

This week I got:

Tempest ~ Julie Cross (MKB)

Wow, this looks like a really good read! Stunning cover too :) 
If I Stay ~ Gayle Forman (Library)
I got this a while ago and forgot to take a picture :S Anyway, I thought it was alright, I don't appear to like it as much as other people do

What did you guys get in your mailbox this week? Leave a comment and I'll be sure to check out your IMM :)
Also, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that you all have a fantastic 2012!