Title: The Raven Boys

I need to rave. 

And squeal.

And fangirl, while jumping up and down and waving my hands and doing a little happy dance.

Internet, 

You are here to witness me eat my words.

In my last blog post, I may have gone on a little bit about how unimpressed I was with Obsidian. 

Yeah. 

I take it back.

I've set myself the task of reading 100 books this year. It's February and I'm on 10 1/2. Actually, I'm half way through three separate books, so technically that makes it 11 1/2 if you put all the halves together. Right? I'm going to say yeah.

Anyway, at this precise moment in time, I'm reading Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout. I was trawling through Good Reads, as I do most days, on the look out for a new book and this was rated very highly. As in 4.41 out of 5 highly. 

I don't really get why.

There are a number of things that lead me to downloading this book on my Kindle. 

One, it was a supernatural book, based in England, based on witches and based on young people. As someone writing a book of a similar genre, I was intrigued to see how it had been done and wanted to make sure my somewhat similar themed novel was completely and utterly different (it is, woo). 

Two, it had some good reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon, so I figured it was a safe bet. 

Three... well I can't remember a third reason. I'm sure there was one, but it's slipped my mind.

Rating: 4.5/5

Despite being categorised as Young Adult (YA) book, The Hunger Games is being enjoyed by adults and teens alike. In recent months, it has become a phenomenon, but what is all the fuss about?

Set in a dystopian future, The Hunger Games follows the story of sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen. She lives in what was once North America, but has since been destroyed and is now known as Panem. Run by The Capitol, the country is spilt into twelve districts. Katniss herself inhabits district 12. As a punishment for the rebellion that lead to the thirteenth district being wiped out, every year, each district must provide one boy and one girl, aged between twelve and eighteen, to fight to the death in The Hunger Games. The battle continues until only one of the tributes is left standing.

The teenagers are chosen in a lottery, with random names being drawn and as twelve year old Prim's name is called, Katniss volunteers in her sister's place and finds herself as tribute for the 74th annual Hunger Games, alongside Peeta Mellark, the bakers son.

It is an interesting concept and the world in which Suzanne Collins has created is highly believable. The characters are well developed and likable and I found myself being drawn in quite quickly, with a constant need to know what happened next.

Throughout the death and violence sparks a love story. Now as with many YA books, the romance cannot be simple. Enter the dreaded triangle. But unlike most other YA books, I actually took a liking to both of the males in question. The characters are very well defined, each with their own very different, yet very engaging personalities and every person who reads it will have their own idea as to who Katniss should ultimately end up with.

And there is so much more. With a plethora of memorable and charismatic characters, there is always a reason to continue into the world that has been created. Whether romance, action or comedy is your thing, in The Hunger Games, there's something for everyone.

Collins writes in a fluid and no nonsense style, interspersing humour with the tragedy and managing to end each and every chapter with a suspense that forces you to turn the next page.

As you reach the end of the book, it is impossible not to want to pick up the next straight away, which to me, is definitely the sign of a well written book that deserves it's best selling title.

So, may the odds be ever in your favour, it's time for Catching Fire.