LILA SHORTCUTS by Sarah Alderson

Short Stories set in the Hunting Lila world
Publication date: October 1st, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Number of pages: 128
Date read: September 30th, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Short Stories, Romance
Source: ARC from Sarah Alderson
Format: Ebook
Add on Goodreads





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Description source: Goodreads)

Five compelling new short stories based in the world of HUNTING LILA.
Told from the perspectives of Alex, Jack, Demos, Amber and Suki - fans of this thrilling series now have a chance to delve into the minds of other characters, and see what they really think!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This set of short stories should not be read without first having read both books in the Lila series - otherwise some of the context will not be understood. Besides, it's no burden at all having to read Hunting Lila and Losing Lila, it's the best use you can find for several hours of your time. Trust me, I know from experience!

Turning Amber is set when Amber is seventeen. She sees auras and doesn't have many friends because of it. Life gets interesting when she meets a boy with a strange aura of his own. The short story on Amber is really interesting, I love how descriptive the way Amber sees auras is written. We also find out how Amber met Ryder, it's cute.

With plenty of humour and some charming dialogue on Ryder's part, this is a nice and insightful story. Turning Amber also introduces several characters and instances that Lila series readers will recognise. 

Everybody is a liar.

Redeeming Demos is told as though Demos is telling someone a story, you'll learn who at the end. He describes his feelings for Melissa (Lila's mother) and his thoughts on love.

Demos's narrative picks up where Amber's finishes - with a prison break of a certain someone.

This story holds a more serious note and adds a few small details not previously known about Hunting Lila's back story.

 I was collecting as many of us as I could find, that is people with exceptional skills, none as exceptional as mine, of course, but exceptional none the less

Catching Suki is set at the start of Hunting Lila and is told from the point-of-view of our favourite, fashionable mind-reader, Suki. I have previously reviewed Catching Suki - you can check out the review here!

“There they are. Lieutenant Jack Loveday and Lieutenant Alex Wakeman. I’ve only seen their photos so far and the pictures that are in Demos’s head, but the truth is Demos did not do them justice. In fact, Demos’s head needs a tune up or a reboot or an entirely new operating system altogether.”

Recruiting Jack is where we get to learn a little about Jack and Alex when they were in college, and how Jack feels about his and Alex's reunion with Lila. We also see how Jack feels about Alex's presence in his life.
Jack's attitude and perspective is funny, as is his protective older brother routine.


The Moment is told from Alex's point of view and tell how he felt being reunited with Lila after several years and just how much things have changed in that time.
Alex is loyal sexy and will go to any lengths for Jack and Lila.
I have read this story at least three or four times (so far) and I love the look inside Alex's head.


Overall, Lila Shortcuts is an amazing lot of short stories, enjoyable and insightful: written superbly and with a doubt exactly what Lila series readers want!

I rate Lila Shortcuts Four out of Five!

TORMENTING LILA by Sarah Alderson

Book #2.5 in the Lila series
Publiction date: July 1st, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Date read: September 28th, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal
Source: Bought
Format: Ebook
Add on Goodreads





----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Description source: Goodreads)

When Lila and Alex sneak off for a romantic weekend away, Lila’s hoping she’ll finally have a chance to work on Alex’s resolve.

But just as things start heating up news reaches them of a serial killer at loose on the island and it isn’t long before their intimate weekend away is interrupted.

A mind reader, a projector, a protective older brother and a serial killer. One of them is going to find Lila first. She's hoping it's the serial killer.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tormenting Lila is about Lila and Alex attempting to get away for a little while, for a bit of romantic alone time but, alas, they still don't have much luck. Whether it be an over protective older brother or a serial killer, one will interrupt them...

A very short story, Tormenting Lila is a quick fix for any and all Lila series addicts who after missing the characters after the end of Losing Lila. You get a nice insight into what the characters have been up to , and are like, after the events of Losing Lila.

I LOVE Suki, she is so completely hilarious, Nate is such a cutie, and Alex, well he's just plain sexy. Lila is her typical self, awesome as ever, as is Jack.

Written as superbly as ever, the only thing I wish was different with Tormenting Lila, was that it was longer - I totally need more of these characters, they 100% hook you.

Another interesting thing about Tormenting Lila is that it also that it gives readers a taste of another of Sarah Alderson's novels and the characters within it, that novel is The Sound, which is intriguing and I definitely something I am dying to read.

Anything by Sarah Alderson is a must-read!

"Now I was older and theoretically more mature"

I rate Tormenting Lila Three and a Half out of Five!

FATED by Sarah Alderson

Book One in the Fated Trilogy

Publication date: January 5th, 2012

Number of Pages: 320

Date read: June 10th, 2012

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

(Description Source: Back cover of book)

IF YOU CAN'T CHOOSE WHO YOU LOVE, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO TO TRUST?

Lucas Gray is half Shadow Warrior, half human, and a member of the Brotherhood - a group of assassins tasked with killing  the last purebred Hunter on Earth before she can fullfill a dangerous prophecy. That Hunter's name is Evie Tremain.

Evie is seventeen-years-old, a waitress, and has just discoveredshe is the last in a long line of demon slayers - and an unwilling participant in a war between Hunters and Unhumans that has raged for the last thousand years.

When your fate is already determined, can you fight it?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The reason I picked this book up to read was because it was by Sarah Alderson and I just loved her other book Hunting Lila, and the description sounds so amazing that I just had to check it out. Pair the desription of Fated with the cover and you know it's a book to read.The cover of Fated is absolutely gorgeous and haunting to look at, it really draws you in and it just represents the book so well.
 

Lucas is half Shadow Warrior, half human and has long vowed his revenge against the Hunters and Lucas has been tasked with the job of killing the last purebred Hunter left,  Evie Tremain. Evie Tremain worked as a waitress and had no idea that she was a Hunter, or even that they existed, that is , until one night when she is attacked as she is leaving work.

Evie learns of the legacy that's been left to her, while Lucas goes undercover for the Brotherhood in an attempt to get close enough to Evie to accomplish his mission. But what happens when feeling come into play?

 

Fated was an enjoyable to read, Lucas was cute and protective and had to be my favourite character in the whole book. Evie was interesting to read about, though her emotions where a bit too erratic, but her fight scenes were incredibly well writtenand enthralling to read. The plot maitains the readers interest from start to finish with new secrets and information being revealed all throughout Fated and there are plenty of fight scenes to fill any craving for action.
 

I definitely felt that Fated got better the further into it I read and the last few chapters were my favourite, especially those from Lucas's point of view.

There was just enough snark, steaminess and action to leave the reader deesperately wanting more, especially in the steaminess department!

“If we could harness one of your looks Evie, we could probably do away with weapons altogether.”  

I rate Fated Four out of Five!