Review: Beneath the Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler

Beneath the Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (St. Martin's Press)
First published: September 4th, 2012
Source: NetGalley
Format: eARC
Pages: 288

Goodreads Summary:

Welcome to a place where dreams are made. And where nothing—and no one—is ever what it seems.

After their make-up and fashion videos went viral on YouTube, sisters Sophia and Ava London are thrust into the exclusive life of the Los Angeles elite. Here fabulous parties, air kisses, paparazzi and hot guys all come with the scene. Sophia finds herself torn between a gorgeous bartender and a millionaire playboy, and Ava starts dating an A-list actor. But as they’re about to discover, the life they’ve always dreamed of comes with a cost.

Beneath the glitter of the Hollywood social scene lies a world of ruthless ambition, vicious gossip…and betrayal. Someone close to them, someone they trust, is working in the shadows to bring the London sisters falling down. And once the betrayal is complete, Sophia and Ava find themselves knee-deep in a scandal that could take away everything they care about, including the one thing that matters most—each other.

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

First thoughts:

Between the first harbingers of a glamorous life and the everyday-problems all siblings know, Ava and Sophia London are trying to make their dreams come true without losing themselves in the process. While at certain times moving and definitely entertaining, I missed a special something though that would have made me fall in love with Beneath the Glitter. Nonetheless it's an enjoyable read that is perfect for the beach or when you are looking for something light to spend your time with.

More detailed:

As someone who has watched Elle and Blair's videos long before I started to blog about books, it is hard to miss where the inspiration for Beneath the Glitter's plot came from. The similarities between the authors and the fictional sisters are uncanny, which made reading this novel a somewhat weird experience - it almost felt like a non-fictional book.

Nonetheless I enjoyed witnessing Ava and Sophia's journey through the glamorous parts of Los Angeles. While Beneath the Glitter does address some more heavy-hearted topics and shows us the sisters even during complicated times, it rather has a very light feeling to it and never made me worry or feel sad for them.

The love stories are the most important part of Beneath the Glitter, right after the sisters' relationship. We are introduced to a couple of guys that may or may not win both, our and Ava and Sophia's hearts. It becomes quite obvious soon who are supposed to be our favorites and I'm glad that the girls start to listen to their hearts more closely toward the end.

Apropos - the ending. I'm really hoping that this book is just the first in a series, because that (not so) tiny cliffhanger is a little bit mean and makes me want to know more about what happens after the epilogue.

All in all, Beneath the Glitter is not my new favorite read, but I also didn't expect that. It's a fun story about two sisters who'd do anything for each other but have to realize that life might not be as easy as they want it to be. If you're looking for an easy and fast read, be sure to consider reading this one - especially if you're someone who, like me, is easily pulled in by a world of beauty, glamour and gossip.

Challenge(s):

 Debut Author Challenge 2012

YA Contemporary Challenge 2012

Buy this book:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Have you read Beneath the Glitter? If yes, what did you think about it?

If no, do you plan to read it?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Carina

Review: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda
Series: The Hunt #1
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Expected Publication: May 8th, 2012
Source: NetGalley
Format: eARC
Pages: 293

Goodreads Summary:

Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

This is more suitable for older teens (16+).

My Rating: 3.0 / 5

First thoughts:

At times predictable and weird, I enjoyed The Hunt nonetheless. It's gory and full of action, making it a fast-paced and really interesting read. While it was a bit too gory for me sometimes, I really liked the uniqueness of The Hunt's world-building. And even though I would have preferred for the romance to develop differently (less cheesy, but slower), I liked witnessing it, too.

More detailed:

Imagine being your classmates' favorite type of food, but they must not find out about that under any circumstances - because that will be the last thing you've ever experienced. That's what Gene's life is like: he has to pretend not being human, or rather a "heper", and his thoughts always revolve around it. One slip-up would mean his death.

The world and creatures Andrew Fukuda created are incredibly original - I assure you that you have not read anything similar before. With a slightly dystopian feel to it, the society in The Hunt is made of vampires that you've never met before. They do not only drink blood, but eat raw meat and get crazy when thinking about hepers. 

A story told from a male point of view is almost rare in the Young Adult genre, but when it's done well I absolutely love it. Sadly I had a hard time connecting with Gene, but I'm not really sure why. His narration is easy to follow and I always wanted to know what will happen to him. Maybe it's because my expectations for The Hunt weren't exactly met - it wasn't nearly as dark as I expected to be, but nonetheless it was a bit too gory for me sometimes.

The ending was quite a surprise and is enough reason for me to be interested in reading the second book. All in all, I can definitely recommend this for everyone who is looking for a really unique YA novel, which is action-packed and doesn't concentrate too much on its love story. While I won't put this onto my list of favorites, I enjoyed reading The Hunt and probably will pick up its sequel.

Have you read The Hunt? What did you think about it?
Do you plan to read it?
Carina