I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark

Title: I'll Walk Alone

Author: Mary Higgins Clark

Published: April 2011

Alexandra “Zan” Moreland, a gifted, beautiful interior designer on the verge of a successful Manhattan career, is terrified to discover that somebody is not only using her credit cards, but may also be impersonating her in a scheme that involves the much more brutal crimes of kidnapping and murder. Already haunted by the disappearance of her own son, Matthew, kidnapped in broad daylight two years ago in Central Park, Zan has been left torn between hope and despair. Now, on what would be Matthew's fifth birthday, photos surface that seem to show Zan kidnapping her own child, followed by a chain of events that suggests somebody has stolen her identity. 

Hounded by the press, under investigation by the police, attacked by both her angry ex-husband and a vindictive business rival, Zan, wracked by fear and pain and sustained only by her belief that Matthew is still alive, sets out to discover who is behind this cruel hoax. What she does not realize is that with every step she takes toward the truth, she is putting herself—and those she loves most—in mortal danger from the person who has ingeniously plotted out her destruction.

Rating: 5 Stars

I loved this. The plot was so intricate, and what a nightmare for an innocent parent to suddenly be incriminated in the abduction of their own child. And whilst Zan can prove that she was elsewhere, you then have to question how these undoctored photos of her abducting her own son can exist. The answer is right there in the book. Sorry but I wasn't going to give you a major spoiler like that for nothing. 

So the criminal mastermind behind Zan's destruction and Matthew's abduction? I'm glad to say that I was on completely the wrong track, instead following the thought patterns of several characters and completely overlooking the one person who orchestrated everything. I have seen other reviews where people have apparently worked out who the baddie is within one hundred pages but I'm not exactly sure what tipped them off. 

What I also really liked is that there are a few chapters from Matthew's perspective, and I'm not ashamed to say that the last chapter, not the epilogue, had me in tears. And now I'm laid here in bed holding my daughter close to make sure nothing happens to her like it did to Matthew. 

Would I recommend this book? Oh yes. It may not have lasted me long but I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Title: I've Got Your Number

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Published: October 2011

A couple of glasses of bubbly with the girls and Poppy's life has gone into meltdown. Not only has she lost her engagement ring, but in the panic that followed, she’s lost her phone too.When she spots an abandoned phone in a bin it seems it was meant to be…Finders Keepers!

Except the phone's owner, elusive businessman Sam Roxton, doesn't agree. He wants his phone back, and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life.Can things get any more tangled?

Rating: 4 Stars

I really enjoyed this book and absolutely loved Sam's character. He may be a ruthless businessman who is determined to get his phone back, but he also spends his time helping Poppy come into her own and face the things she's been dreading. However another character that really had me in stitches was Willow. She is the perfect psycho ex who doesn't seem to understand that her relationship has ended, and her emails to Sam are hilarious. I'm certain that she would be have been a total bridezilla given the chance. 

However I wasn't quite so fond of the main character Poppy. Now it's not that I really dislike her, but she just seemed too similar to another character of Kinsella's; Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic series. As such whilst I was reading the book I kept thinking oh but that's exsctly what Becky would have done. 

When it came to the storyline I'm glad that Poppy was portrayed as a loyal girl, although I do wonder why alarm bells never rang in her head when Magnus propsed after only a month of being together. I'm glad that even though towards the end she suspects she may have feelings for someone else Poppy always tries to do the right thing for everyone else. 

I think I may have liked to see a couple more stand offs between Sam and Poppy, maybe with a bit more Willow thrown into the mix. I don't know. Given that the entire story takes place over a ten day period things have developed a little quickly. Although that said when you read the book it doesn't feel like a ten day period it feels like several weeks. 

Would I recommend this book? Oh yes. I wouldn't say it had me in stitches,  but there were still some funny moments along the way. 

No One Left To Tell by Karen Rose

Title: No One Left To Tell

Author: Karen Rose

Published: January 2012

Ramon Muñoz has spent five years in prison, convicted of a murder his family is convinced he did not commit. Unable to get the courts to take them seriously, they turn to private investigator Paige Holden for help.

Paige cannot resist the family's pleas. But when Ramon's wife, having just handed her the evidence that will help prove his innocence, is brutally executed in front of her eyes, Paige is thrown headlong into a case which will place her life into jeopardy.

As Paige risks everything to prove Ramon was set up, she comes to realise that there is more at stake if Ramon is freed than she could have ever guessed. Can Paige stay alive long enough to unmask an unstoppable killer who will not rest until there's no one left to tell?

Rating: 4 Stars

I can't quite explain how but this story didn't really head in the direction that I expected. I think it was because while the prologue was an excellent opener, I didn't expect it to end up where it did. However the way the prologue was written has you gripped and instantly you want to know who is behind the murder of Crystal Jones and what it is that she has proof of. 

This is one of those books where there are several strings to follow at any one time, and that's just on the crime front. We follow not only Paige and Grayson as they try to figure out what is going on, but also the sniper who isn't really that bad a guy, and some woman named Adele who for quite a while doesn't really seem to fit into the story. However Rose has done really well with tying everything up together at the ending, and she manages to keep you guessing about the identity of Crystal's murderer right up until the last few chapters. 

I loved her characterisation, especially where Silas was concerned. Even though he is essentially playing the bad guy, he's actually a really nice person who has only ever tried to protect his family. However that led him into making an awful decision and he's been stuck in a rut ever since. 

So why didn't I give this five stars? Because personally I hated the romance between Paige and Grayson. There was nothing for it to be based upon, no foundation to work with. And yet within days they're a forever couple. I'm just not buying it. Although there was a lovely sex scene for me to get excited over. 

Would I recommend this book? Oh yes. For anyone who says a woman can't write crime, go and read this and then come back to me with your opinions. 

Shatter The Bones by Stuart MacBride

Title: Shatter The Bones

Author: Stuart MacBride

Published: January 2011

No suspects. No clues. No rest for the wicked.

'You will raise money for the safe return of Alison and Jenny McGregor. If you raise enough money within fourteen days they will be released. If not, Jenny will be killed.'

Alison and Jenny McGregor – Aberdeen's own mother-daughter singing sensation – are through to the semi-finals of TV smash-hit Britain's Next Big Star. They're in all the gossip magazines, they've got millions of YouTube hits, everyone loves them.

But their reality-TV dream has turned into a real-life nightmare. The ransom demand appears in all the papers, on the TV, and the internet, telling the nation to dig deep if they want to keep Alison and Jenny alive.

The media want action; the public displays of grief and anger are reaching fever-pitch. Time is running out, but DS Logan McRae and his colleagues have nothing to go on: the kidnappers haven't left a single piece of forensic evidence. The investigation is going nowhere.

It looks as if the price of fame just got a lot higher ...

Rating: 5 Stars

I absolutely loved this story. I really really loved it. There were so many laugh out loud moments for me, just with little one liners like "Did your mother find you under the idiot bush?" that really added to the book. And I think the humour was needed, because really the actual storyline is quite dark in some ways. I'm talking about Jenny's abduction, I didn't really care so much about Alison, but threatening to kill a six year old and also cutting off her toes and sending the video to the BBC is just gruesome. 

I think it is somewhat obvious who all the players are when it comes to the abduction, and what really made me laugh was that they all went by names of actors who've played the Doctor, and their leader or brains behind the operation went by the name of someone who'd played the Master. Then again I'm a bit of a geek who enjoys stuff like that.

There is also a really interesting secondary story that runs with Logan's personal life, and we're left with a lovely cliffhanger as to whether or not Samantha will pull through after the house fire. Personally I'm hoping she does but we'll see what happens when I eventually get around to reading the eighth book in the series. Yes I know I'm reading them out of order but shush.

Would I recommend this book? Hell yes. This was an amazing read and I'd happily pick it up again. 

Au Revoir Liverpool by Maureen Lee

Title: Au Revoir Liverpool

Author: Maureen Lee

Published: February 2011

Liverpool, 1937. Jessica is married to Bertie, a mean, patronising man who she has stayed with purely for the sake of her two young children. To make up for the love and passion that is missing from her life, she spends the occasional afternoon at the local cinema, lost in romantic films. But when an unexpected glass of champagne is offered to her in a Liverpool hotel, the consequences turn out to be shattering.

When Bertie discovers his wife's deceit, he is ruthless in his revenge. He sells their house and disappears with her beloved children, leaving Jessica devastated and alone. Then she is asked to visit Paris and help an old friend and her small daughters return to Liverpool before the onset of the war. But Jessica finds herself stranded in Paris under German occupation. With new friends and a small family to care for, she must find the courage that she never knew she possessed...

Rating: 4 Stars

What I really liked about Au Revoir Liverpool was that the main character Jessica is so easy to connect with. Right from the off I found her extremely likeable although I can't quite put my finger on why that was. Even when she spends one afternoon in the arms of another man, thereby ruining her marriage to the horrendous Bertie, I found myself thinking of Jessica as the victim and being wholly on her side. 

Whilst many people have described this book as a wartime romance I saw it as more the story of Jessica coming into her own. Through her own mistake she has lost her husband and her two children and is thoroughly down in the dumps. However she finds herself becoming a completely different person who is capable of standing on her own two feet and surviving wartime France. Okay yes some of that was to do with having a man around the place, but she does survive several years on her own as well. 

So now I'm going to be a little bit nitpicky. The one thing that bugged me was that Jessica kept falling completely and irrevocably in love. Now don't get me wrong, it's perfectly possible to fall in love. But to be completely and utterly in love with one man, and then another one only a year or two later I don't quite buy. There was also one character who appeared to me to have no redeeming quality whatsoever, and that would have to be Sara. Without beating about the bush she's one hell of a bitch. At least her superficial theatre owning husband did something worthwhile in the end. But the last thing that really bugged me was Ethel's reaction to Tom's affair. What woman would just go oh well I'm in love with him, and stay with him for years and yet delight in his later ruin? She doesn't make any sense to me. 

Would I recommend this book? Oh yes. It may have only occupied me for a day but this was a very enjoyable read. 

My Dear I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young

Title: My Dear I Wanted To Tell You

Author: Louisa Young

Published: May 2011

While Riley Purefoy and Peter Locke fight for their country, their survival and their sanity in the trenches of Flanders, Nadine Waveney, Julia Locke and Rose Locke do what they can at home. Beautiful, obsessive Julia and gentle, eccentric Peter are married: each day Julia goes through rituals to prepare for her beloved husband’s return. Nadine and Riley, only eighteen when the war starts, and with problems of their own already, want above all to make promises - but how can they when the future is not in their hands? And Rose? Well, what did happen to the traditionally brought-up women who lost all hope of marriage, because all the young men were dead?

Rating: 3 Stars

I had read several five star reviews of this book before opening my own copy, and I think this caused me to raise my expectations of the book. For me it felt as though I was trudging through the pages looking for the ending; I certainly didn't feel gripped as other reviewers promised I would. 

I didn't really take to any of the characters except Rose, and to be honest I would have liked to have seen more of her. To me she seemed to be the most real, the most human out of all of the main characters. Julia came across as somewhat vapid and shallow, and I just couldn't get to grips with the men. 

Therefore given how much I disliked this book I was somewhat surprised to find myself crying in the middle. Riley's accident and the immediate consequences for him and Nadine had me in tears, and it was certainly a job trying to explain to the other half why I was crying over a book that I didn't even enjoy that much. If I had to explain it then I guess that I was putting myself in Nadine's shoes and reacting accordingly. 

However this book also has a few positives. Firstly it shows the more human side of the war, and how normal everyday people are affected. We follow two families or partnerships over the four years of the war, and every single person has trials that they have to face. Secondly there wasn't a load of gore in the trench scenes, instead these scenes were very disjointed with only the key moments being picked out. This, I assume, would be true to real life. Whilst the trenches were undoubtedly a horrible place not every moment will be remembered in perfect harmony. Instead only particular moments will jump out. 

Would I recommend this book? That's actually a really hard question for once. Usually I'm able to give a straight yes or no, but I can't quite make up my mind with this one. So I'd say give it a try but don't expect to be bowled over. 

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson

Title: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest

Author: Stieg Larsson

Published: January 2007

Salander is plotting her revenge - against the man who tried to kill her, and against the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. But it is not going to be a straightforward campaign. After taking a bullet to the head, Salander is under close supervision in Intensive Care, and is set to face trial for three murders and one attempted murder on her eventual release. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, Salander must not only prove her innocence, but identify and denounce the corrupt politicians that have allowed the vulnerable to become victims of abuse and violence. Once a victim herself, Salander is now ready to fight back.

Rating: 3 Stars

I really wasn't a fan of the final installment of the Millennium trilogy. To me there was too much on Swedish politics in this book, something which doesn't interest me at all, and not enough new story. The only sections that really grabbed my attention was Erika's stalker and Salander's trial. 

The other thing, aside from the politics, that really bugged me was the introduction of so many new characters and sub-storylines. I felt like there were too many strings, and whilst everything ties up neatly in the end, it made the story extremely hard to follow for me. 

Even Salander wasn't really herself, not that that wasn't to be expected given that she'd just taken a bullet to the head at the end of The Girl Who Played With Fire. Blomkvist however came into his own, working with Salander's hacking friends in order to get the verdict that they wanted from the trial and also realising when they were all being followed. But Blomkvist still annoys me in that he's picked up another new woman, although it seems that he is a bit more serious about her. 

Despite all of that though, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest has the same charm of the first two where you find yourself wanting to hate Larsson but being unable too. 

Would I recommend this book? Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the others in the series I think it's still worth a read, mainly because you need to know what happens to Salander. 

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

Title: The Girl Who Played With Fire

Author: Stieg Larsson

Published: January 2006

Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. Two Millennium journalists about to expose the truth about sex trafficking in Sweden are murdered, and Salander's prints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable and vengeful behaviour makes her an official danger to society - but no-one can find her. Mikael Blomkvist, editor-in-chief of Millennium, does not believe the police. Using all his magazine staff and resources to prove Salander's innocence, Blomkvist also uncovers her terrible past, spent in criminally corrupt institutions. Yet Salander is more avenging angel than helpless victim. She may be an expert at staying out of sight - but she has ways of tracking down her most elusive enemies.

Rating: 5 Stars

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was very plot focused, however I found I preferred the character focused style of The Girl Who Played With Fire. This installment focuses on the character of Lisbeth Salander, and we learn a lot more about the way she works. Not only that but we finally learn what All The Evil is. And from learning about that particular scenario I have to say Salander certainly had balls at the age of twelve. 

This installment is set two years after the previous one, and we can see how the characters have developed over that period of time. Bjurman is still an arse, Salander has matured a bit but is still as reckless as ever, and is there anyone who Blomkvist isn't shagging? Seriously why throw Harriet Vangar into the mix as well. 

The villain this time is a mastermind, who just so happens to have the perfect muscle for any job. Dumb, and suffering from a genetic condition meaning he can't feel any pain, as well as being built like a mountain makes Ronald Neidermann a pretty formidable opponent in a fight. And of course the end gives us some beautiful plot twists as well as a great cliffhanger. 

I found the storyline much more interesting this time, although that might have something to do with the fact that Salander was the primary character. 

The only thing that really bugged me is that Salander is a billionaire now yet she furnishes her flat with stuff from Ikea. 

Would I recommend this book? Most definitely. This was a great read, and the final cliffhanger means I'm about to buy the last book now. 

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Title: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Author: Stieg Larsson

Published: August 2005

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder - and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family.

He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, truculent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history.

But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.

Rating: 4 Stars

Overall this was a very enjoyable read. Solving a murder mystery forty years on, for which a body has never been found was never going to be an easy task. This murder has driven one man to his wits end, and he eventually hires a journalist to see if he can unearth some new material and discover the truth about what happened to Harriet. 

Until about halfway through when Blomkvist and Salander finally meet, the book feels as if its two separate stories. Out of those two stories I find myself more involved in Salander's story, and only gain a proper interest in what happened to Harriet once Salander and Blomkvist team up. This second half of the book though is where we suddenly see a lot more action so that's when I really started to become involved with the story. 

Characterisation wise I absolutely adored Salander. She is a bit of an enigma and I get the feeling that we still have a lot to learn about who she is, and what happened to her as a child. We know that there was a big event known as All The Evil, but we haven't explicitly been told what this is. Blomkvist on the other hand didn't really appeal to me. He's shown as having a very strong moral backbone and a very black and white outlook of the world, yet he's a ladies man who even when he is in a committed relationship is having this on off thing with Erika. So hes more than a bit of a hypocrite in my eyes. 

There are a few bits of book that I really don't agree with including details of Salander being raped, the truth of what happened to Harriet (you'll know what ai mean when you get to that point), and the detail with which particularly grisly murders are described. 

Would I recommend this book? Oh yes, this is well worth a read. Now I'm off to see if the other books in the trilogy live up to this one. 

Live Wire by Harlan Coben

Title: Live Wire

Author: Harlan Coben

Published: March 2011

Over the years, Myron Bolitar has walked a tight rope between sports agent, friend, problem solver and private eye, his big heart quick to defend his clients' interests so fiercely that he can't help but jump in to save them, no matter the cost to his own happiness.

So when former tennis star Suzze T and her rock star husband, Lex, encounter an anonymous Facebook post questioning the paternity of their unborn child, Lex runs off, and Suzze - at eight months pregnant - asks Myron to save her marriage, and perhaps her husband's life. But when he finds Lex, he also finds two people he wasn't looking for: his sister-in-law, Kitty, wife of Myron's estranged brother, and her teenage son, Mickey, who is achingly familiar. But this boy that he has never met blames Myron for everything that has happened to his parents.

As Myron races to locate his missing brother while their father clings to life after a savage heart-attack, he must face the lies that led to the estrangement long ago - including the ones told by Myron himself. He must also answer the questions that Mickey's arrival has thrown up. Who is Myron Bolitar really? And can he heal the damage of the past?

Rating: 4 Stars

This is the first Myron Bolitar book that I have read and after a while I found it to be fairly enjoyable. However I'm not sure that I entirely buy into the whole idea of Myron being an agent and some crime solving sleuth. I don't know but I really don't think that the two careers mesh together very well.

And whilst Myron is the main character it really seems to me that the brains behind the entire operation is his friend and colleague Win. Now that might not necessarily be a bad thing, but it does lower the attraction of Myron somewhat. Then again Myron seems to be good at everything so I'm pretty glad that Coben gave him the flaw of wanting to help everyone out, no matter how much he despises them. 

I have to admit that the plot turned in a completely different direction than what I first imagined, and I always enjoy it when a book manages to surprise me. However this was mainly because of the introduction of so many smaller characters who appear to be pulling the strings. My favourite twist though has to be the one with Lex and Gabriel, but I won't say anymore as I don't want to give the game away. 

Would I recommend this book? I would indeed. It may not be the hardest mystery to solve, but this was an enjoyable read nonetheless. 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Title: Me Before You

Author: Jojo Moyes

Published: December 2012

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Rating: 5 Stars

I'm sat here on my hospital bed in tears after reading this book. Wait no scratch that I've been crying for the last few chapters ever since I realised how this was going to end. And while a part of me always knew it would end that way, I still wasn't prepared for the emotion it would evoke within me. 

I really really enjoyed this book, I can't put into words just how much I enjoyed it. Will, despite being a bit of an arse in the beginning, actually shows himself to be a lovely guy and Lou it transpires actually has a crazy quirky nature. We even see her sister Treena mature as a character, and when we read the chapter from Treena's point of view I grew to respect her a bit more as a character. Patrick on the other hand seemed dull and very two dimensional to me. Okay he was probably intended to be that way, but I honestly can't see how he managed to keep hold of Lou for seven years. 

The storyline is in itself brilliant. There are plenty of twists and turns, none that I feel I can reveal without ruining the ending for you, but they are all brilliant. One thing that is for sure is that this isn't your conventional love story and you'll want your tissues handy. 

Would I recommend this book? Most definitely. I really enjoyed this read, even if my heart was crushed by the end of it. 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Published: August 2010

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge...

Rating: 5 Stars

Mockingjay is the final installment in the Hunger Games trilogy and it certainly lives up to expectations. In some ways Mockingjay is a lot darker than the other books; we encounter torture and many gruesome deaths in the Capitol. And there's one death in particular which hits Katniss really hard. 

However that said there are happy moments too. We get to see a wedding and see Katniss finally make her choice between Gale and Peeta. 

Mockingjay is much more action packed, something I really enjoyed. Right from page one we are thrown into the military lifestyle of District Thirteen. I think this is where we finally get a feel for who Gale really is, and what surprised me was that I started to feel sympathetic towards Johanna of all people. 

This was a brilliant way to end the series and I hope Suzanne Collins brings us something new soon. 

Would I recommend this book? I'd recommend the entire series which has captivated me for the past week. 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Published: September 2009

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Rating: 5 Stars

Catching Fire is a brilliant sequel to The Hunger Games. Set a few months after Katniss and Peeta have become victors we now get to see them embark on the Victory Tour, and President Snow gives Katniss an ultimatum. The ultimate twist though, the perfect revenge for the Capitol is that as this year is the seventy fifth year of the Hunger Games, it's a Quarter Quell. And what better way to celebrate the Quarter Quell than by reaping the tributes from existing victors, meaning that Katniss will be headed back into the arena once more. 

I liked that Suzanne Collins kept things somewhat strained between Peeta and Katniss in the beginning, adding a reality to their relationship. It helps with the continuity of how the last book ended. And it was also brilliant how the Hunger Games are still as brutal as ever despite the unity of the victors. However I think the best part of the book for me was the bombshell of the final chapter. It's defintely one to watch out for.

Would I recommend this book? Oh yes defintely. I'd say go out and get a copy now because if you enjoyed The Hunger Games you'll love Catching Fire. 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Published: September 2008

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

Rating: 5 Stars

I absolutely loved The Hunger Games. I first read the series a few years ago when I was at uni and I've seen both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. So I already knew what was going to happen. Luckily though this is one of those books that you can pick up and enjoy time and time again. I still get emotional at particular parts of the book and still always cry over Rue. 

The character development is brilliant and by the end of the book we see Katniss struggling to work out whether or not she has feelings for Peeta, or if it was all just a part of the Games. 

The Games themselves are quite a barbaric concept, teenagers fighting it out to the death on television, but I think the worst part of the Games for me is how brutal some of those teenagers are. We aren't given ages for the majority of the other tributes but I'm choosing to believe that most of them are towards the older end of the scale. 

Would I recommend this book? Hell yes!!! Go get yourself a copy now.