Tuesday 6 October 2015

My Book Kryptonite

09:24:00 0

There are some books, you think you're above. You snort at "tweens" reading twilight or roll your eyes dramatically at the thought of Shakespeare, but then there are those other books. Those books that you have a weakness for. If your reading ability was Superman, these books are your Kryptonite. You are defenseless against them and as soon as a book presents itself in that way, it is immediately in your basket.

 For me, it  Fairy tale re-tellings. I want to pretend I'm above it, silly little genre with barely any originality - but I don't. Fairy tale re-tellings are some of the most outstanding literature I have read. They are so original and it is so interesting to have people take the same story and twist and manipulate it into something completely new. So to honour my book kryptonite, here is a list of my favourites, and if that's not enough, you can find more of the genre here.

 1. Angela Carter

 Angela Carter was an English Novelist. She wrote Angela Carter's Book of Fairy tale and The Bloody Chamber and other stories. These are by far her most popular books and they aren't like regular re-tellings. Often seen as feminist literature, Carter's writing is violent and terrifying and really takes a good look at the female position within fairy tales and society. She looks at the impact of fairy tales on our society and flips them on their head. I would highly recommend any of her literature to any human person ever.

 2. Leigh Bardugo

 If you have not read Leigh Bardugo - do it now. Don't even bother with finishing this article. Just go. For a little context Bardugo's fairy tale stories are all companion novellas to the Grisha Series:
The Witch of Duva
Little Knife
The Too Clever Fox
Little Knife is my favourite and all of them are so mystical and amazing. The world she builds in these tiny little stories are just stunning.

 3. Marissa Meyer

 Cyborg Cinderella? Moon-person Rapunzel? NUFF SAID! Lunar Chronicles are amazing.
4. Sarah  J Maas

 Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, do seem far away from a fairy tale, but in fact TOG was originally based on Cinderella and ACOTAR is based on Beauty and the Beast. These series are both amazing representations of the ways authors interpret different stories. It is one of my favourite aspects of this genre. One of my all time favourites.

 5. ONCE UPON A TIME

 I'm afraid I am about to be a cheater. This series is not a book, but it is still a masterpiece of fairy-tale makeovers. ABC'S Once Upon a Time is one of the most enjoyable shows I have watched. I adore the series and Emma and the way it uses contemporary life and society in order to highlight the characters past lives. Evil Peter Pan? Whhaaaatt? I love it. I love it so much, it has snuck it's way into my book blog. DAMN YOU EMMA SWAN!

 So that's it, a few of my favourite book kryptonite. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this quick little bit and I urge you to let me know in the comments, what your kryptonite is.

 Happy Reading



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Sunday 4 October 2015

The Unreadables

01:03:00 0
Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

 Now, we've all been there. You start a book, sometimes by an author you know and love...then it sucks. As a determined reader I try, honestly I try but sometimes whatever is wrong with the book gets in the way. Therefore in order to relieve myself of guilt for denying these books a review, here are a few of the books I was unable to finish and a few reasons why.

 The Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

This book gives me a lot of sadness. I have loved every book Lauren Oliver has written but this book was just not up to scratch. Even the blurb seemed right up my street - a little mystery, sisterly relationships and a terrible trauma. Oooh the tension. It could have been something amazing, but if it was, I never got to it.

 I had to give up at a hundred pages. The tension that was promised was not delivered and  the pacing was so slow I knew it was ending toward a big finish, but as they say it isn't the ending that matters, its the journey -though an ending does help. So if you like a slow build to a shocking end, I'm sure you'll love this book but for me, Panic was such an outstanding novel that Vanishing Girls was a lot slower and less touching and therefore disappointing.

 The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbourgh

 That title, it's beautiful, no wonder I bought this right? Even the synopsis Love and Death placing bets on two humans. Will they die or will they choose love. Oh it's exciting! Or I thought it would be. Love and Death essentially choose two humans of whom, if they fall in love it could cause disaster. They make them, soulmates shall we say. Flora and Henry are on either side of racial segregation. This gave me chills, oooh period drama, oohh forbidden love. But then Martha Brockenbourgh obviously felt very uncomfortable with her subject matter. Racist's were very polite and none of them even got near to using the dreaded N word. For a world that is so disgusted by dark skin at this time, a fact the author feels the need to emphasize. There is also the fact, the author refuses to tell the audience that Flora is coloured - we'll just have her play  jazz music and have people look at her a bit funny, that should do it.


 As a writer, I honestly believe that if you are trying to comment on society, a time that was wrong, political statement etc. You have to go for it. Don't be afraid to offend people because you will. The readers knows that anything you write isn't necessarily how you feel. You are not your characters and that was the reason, I could not continue with this book.

 Take back the Skies by Lucy Saxon

Lucy Saxon, cool cosplayer, a friend with someone I know. How I wish I'd loved this, but I didn't. I was thinking this would be Arya goes off alone in Game of Thrones but this book was very young. It seemed like it was for a much younger audience than it was advertised for. The main character is about fourteen which is immediately a dead giveaway. There are many reasons to stop a book, but at one point when you realise a series isn't for you. I think it's brave to put it down and move onto different things.

 This book is also one of those series in which each book follows a different character and I really didn't want to invest in a character and then lose them. I just can't set myself up for that kind of hurt (wipes eyes away dramatically).

 So there are a few of the books I have been unable to finish. I have a whole bookshelf on Goodreads dedicated to them, so if that sounds interesting you can find that here. 

 If not I would love to hear about books you've read and forced to put down. It would surely help with my own book guilt. And don't be afraid to put down your books, there's always more round the corner and it won't be going anywhere.

 Happy Reading.
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Friday 2 October 2015

Fall Haul

08:50:00 0
I have gone book crazy this September onward. I moved house to Bolton and so the Arndale Waterstones has been within my reach. Safe to say my student loan now lives only in history books.

 I have been heavily into Kingdom themed novels since reading Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas. I knew I would have a bad book hangover, so I prepared thoroughly. Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker declared that fans of Maas would enjoy this. Naturally I trust everything the yellow font on the front of a book says.

 Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

 Kick-butt heroine caught herself in a pickle. Sounds right up my street.

 Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine promised me medieval-type adventure with the included literature love of The Book Thief. I love purchasing the first book in a new series. It always sort of feels like a promise, like something great is yet to come and knowing their is more of the adventure out there, really matters when I'm choosing material to read.

 Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden. Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal is my favourite buy for fall. I have read nothing of it other than the blurb. The blurb and the title though, it sounds amazing, I have high hopes for this book, especially seen as the author has won several very impressive awards, this book even being shortlisted for the Printz prize.

 On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches: brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion.

 Next on the agenda were the books I'd be waiting to buy or that weren't available in bookstores in my hometown. Naturally after reading Fairest by Marissa Meyer and eagerly waiting for Winter, I had to buy it in paperback and it was so worth it. The cover is even more beautiful in real life. It's like shiny and fiery and just breathtaking. 

 In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?
Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 


 Then, I returned to the Grishaverse, with Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. This book is a monster, it is huge, only 500 pages but has a good inch in height more than the other books. Cannot complain though because I have been waiting for this for over a year since Bardugo announced it via tumblr.  I already knew I was buying this book as soon as it was published. The Grisha series was amazing, I loved it and  I'm praying for a Darkling  character who turns out not to be completely bonkers. 

 As I am a fan of Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston, I purchased the sequel Stolen.

 Months after Nat and Wes said good-bye on the shores of the Blue, Nat is learning how to control and use her new power. She and her drakon are the last of their kind—and she’s risked her life for their reunion. When she receives a mysterious distress call, she races to help, soliciting the guidance of her new friend, the beautiful and aloof Faix Lazaved of the Blue. Still heartbroken over losing Nat, Wes is racing cars on a New Vegas racetrack while his team is scattered and lost. When he finds out that his sister, Eliza, is being held in the golden domes of El Dorado, he does what he’s best at—running to her side—and gambles on luck to see him through one more time.

 As I'm also a lover of Disney, I couldn't help by help myself to The Descendants by Melissa De La Cruz. I went to Cuba in the summer and Disney Channel was all about The Descendants Movie and to an extent the book. I like Melissa De La Cruz's easy to follow pace and I like Disney. So what's not to like - nothing that's what. 

 Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon and made to live in virtual imprisonment on the Isle of the Lost. The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains and their descendants safely locked up and away from the mainland. Life on the island is dark and dreary. It is a dirty, decrepit place that's been left to rot and forgotten by the world. But hidden in the mysterious Forbidden Fortress is a dragon's eye: the key to true darkness and the villains' only hope of escape. Only the cleverest, evilest, nastiest little villain can find it...who will it be?

 Another book I purchased on a whim simply as it had an authors name on,  is Silence is Goldfish by Annabel Pitcher. I have read every book Pitcher has written and she is a very talented British writer. Sh has this impeccable way of writing each of her books the same but also different. Ketchup Clouds was written in letters to a murderer and My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece was directly focused around the London Bombings. She is a very contemporary style and I have never regretted reading one of her books, so here is to this one. *Raises mug of Irn Bru, clinks like it's champagne.*

 My name is Tess Turner - at least, that's what I've always been told.
I have a voice but it isn't mine. It used to say things so I'd fit in, to please my parents, to please my teachers. It used to tell the universe I was something I wasn't. It lied. It never occurred to me that everyone else was lying too. But the words that really hurt weren't the lies: it was six hundred and seventeen words of truth that turned my world upside down.
Words scare me, the lies and the truth, so I decided to stop using them.
I am Pluto. Silent. Inaccessible. Billions of miles away from everything I thought I knew.

 Another favourite author of mine is Sarah Crossan, of whom I will be seeing at Manchester Literature Festival later on in the month. Crossan's novel The One, is based around two twins who are conjoined. Much like The Weight of Water it is written in verse and I loved that book so I think I will love this just as much, maybe even more. 

 Tippi and Grace. Grace and Tippi. For them, it’s normal to step into the same skirt. To hook their arms around each other for balance. To fall asleep listening to the other breathing. To share. And to keep some things private. The two sixteen-year-old girls have two heads, two hearts, and each has two arms, but at the belly, they join. And they are happy, never wanting to risk the dangerous separation surgery.

 The last few books I purchased were spur of the moment. For the most part, I judged a book by it's cover. The Catalyst by Helena Coggan is just stunning looking. Almost like an iris with the shadow of people walking inside it. It really captured my interest and I picked it up. This year's Divergent? We shall see. 

 Rose Elmsworth has a secret. For eighteen years, the world has been divided into the magically Gifted and the non-magical Ashkind, but Rose's identity is far more dangerous. At fifteen, she has earned herself a place alongside her father in the Department, a brutal law-enforcement organisation run by the Gifted to control the Ashkind. But now an old enemy is threatening to start a catastrophic war, and Rose faces a challenging test of her loyalties. How much does she really know about her father's past? How far is the Department willing to go to keep the peace? And, if the time comes, will Rose choose to protect her secret, or the people she loves.

 The next stunning cover was The Night Owls by Jean Bennett. The gold spray paint, the golden map lines behind. My eyes were just in love instantly and I had to buy it. 

 Meeting Jack on the Owl - San Francisco's night bus- turns Beatrix's world upside down. Jack is charming, wildly attractive...and possibly one of San Francisco's most notorious graffiti artists. But Jack is hiding a piece of himself. On the midnight rides and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who this enigmatic boy really is. 

 Last but not least, The Jewel by Amy Ewing  I bought not because of the cover, which is kind of The Selection by crapper. I got this because it reminded me of Only Ever Yours by Louise O'niell. In which I loved the concept but the narrative didn't go where I hoped. This book seemed to follow much more what I expected from Only Ever Yours. 

 The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

 So that is my Fall Haul, I really did go a little crazy but then again, I will never run out of anything to read. I hope  you enjoyed this and I would love to here what you have been reading this Autumn, so keep in touch. 

 Happy Reading.
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Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas

01:00:00 2
Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

The Queen has returned

 Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .
She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight. She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return. The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena's epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world. 

 Welcome all Fire Breathing Bitch Queens! It's that time again, that time I wait all year for.

 IT'S THRONE OF GLASS FOUR Y'ALL!


 This is where you cheer, I know, it's exciting. So I'm just going to get on with it, because we have alot to discuss. Now, for those of you who don't know, Throne of Glass is in essence the story of a Notorious Assassin who happens to be a Lost Queen of a country at war. It is by far cooler than it sounds. I wrote a review of the previous book, so go here for that:

  CLICK ME FOR HEIR OF FIRE

 Okay, so where do I even begin? A bit of time has passed between Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows. We skipped the journey back to Adarlan and even the first few weeks of Celaena *cough* I mean Aelin - this is gonna be tough. So we miss Aelin getting settled in, and I thought that it would be awhile before we saw Arobynn Hamel. I was wrong, first chapter, Celaena has a new name, new hair and has tracked down Arobynn in the Vaults. It was great to just get into it, just to kick off with what I was waiting for once she realised she was going to see Arobynn again.

Now In The Assassin's Blade, I wasn't sure what to make of Arobynn, he was sadistic and violent and almost kind of like an abusive boyfriend. I never got to feeling there was anything sexual going on between them other than his need to be dominant over everyone else but in this book he was super creepy. I think he was initially shocked to see her and his guard was dropping a little because things weren't fully under his control. He had sent Aelin to Endovier, waiting for her t learn her lesson so he could save her as and when he pleased. It was way twisted, but I'll get to that.

 We start this book and Celaena Sardothien is "gone". After all the awful things she has done Aelin decides to cast off her name and become Aelin instead. I can't imagine this will be permanent. She says hroughout the book that Celaena is gone but she isn't. There are moments, when she's joking with Lysandra (who is rad is this book) and with Rowan that are still Celaena. As fan theories go I believe Celaena's journey now is going to be accepting that she is Celaena and she is also Aelin. She has to accept the life that was before she can move on. That means accepting Nehemia's death, all the death she caused and Sam's death. She cannot just remove that grief by tattooing her back and changing her name. So I have a feeling this is going to take part over the last two books.

 Aelin is just as bad-ass as Celaena. She's like demon Buffy the Vampire Slayer just slashing around being awesome. After seeing Arobynn the first time, we kick off with Aedion's rescue. I loved this section of the book, Aelin keeps all her plans a secret from the reader, so as it all happens it is so shocking and keeps you on the edge of your seat, The thing with the roses and the dancers and Dorian. Oh Gods, Dorian. I feel for Dorian in this book and generally he just annoys me. I never really understood his relationship with Sorscha. It felt very forced to me, whether that was Dorian forcing it to get over Celaena or Sarah J Maas herself. Demon Dorian is kind of terrifying and I honestly worried he would die. During the rescue, when he's grinning at Aelin and she's about to mercy kill him. Then she pauses, begging for him to remember, giving him a minute. This book made my heart race.

 Then, there's Chaol. I have always been a Celaena and Chaol ship. My ship is sunk, though I still retain hope. Gods when he sees her and he is such and arsehole through the entire first half of the book. It's not until they have the talk on the rooftop that I finally realised, he was waiting for her. He'd heard the rumours of her and Rowan and then she showed up this different person. I had so much hope for them after her speech at the docks before she left in Crown of Midnight, and now I realise that's what Chaol felt. He was waiting for her and was so blind sided when she came back. Even as she first saw him, she started talking about how her heart has healed and without him in their. Despite the holes in my ship, I do still hold up hope. As long as she doesn't end up with Dorian I am happy. I was really surprised to love Rowan in this book. He was okay in Heir of Fire, a bit dark and broody for my taste. Rowan in this book is a lot more fun, the back and forth between the pair is so funny. And the thing with the almond oil and Arobynn made me laugh for a good twenty minutes. Gods it was so funny.  On the subject of new ships, I like Nesryn, I think her and Chaol are an excellent match. If Aelin and Chaol are off the cards, then Nesryn is awesome enough to be with Chaol. She's basically medieval Katniss.

 My ultimate favorite scene in this book, my favorite scene of the whole series was Manon VS Aelin SMACKDOWN! I thought it would be a while before Aelin and Manon met but Maas surprised me again. This entire scene was perfection. These two amazing fighters just whooping each others butts was the ultimate in awesome, and then when Aelin saved Manon from the temple they had knocked down with their fighting was great. Then the life debt came into play and it was so cool. This entire series is not only impeccably written, so well written that as a writer it makes me feel awful every time I read it. It is edited to perfection. I would love to see a first draft and see how it compares. Maybe that would make me feel better. This book is not just well written and funny, it is cool. There is so much cool going on, like the best action film with the best romance and characters you could ever imagine. Each book gets better and better.

 Now here's a ship I can get behind. MANON & DORIAN! I can get behind that, the little moment they had. Not to mention that Manon is vaguely Celaena-like, maybe explaining his attraction to Celaena in the first and second book. They just immediately had chemistry, and when she flies past his window and they both catch each others eyes despite being miles in the air. It was so romantic. I liked Rowan and Aelin, they have banter and I knew as soon as Rowan showed up in Adarlan that it was going to happen. It felt very natural, really liked them together.

 Lysandra was a lovely little flower in this book. If you remember her from The Assassin's Blade, I hated her in that. Then it turns out she was playing the game, and that she is a shapeshifter. Way cool. I love how easy their friendship is. Girl friendships are always portrayed with a little jealousy and snideness between them but even after years of being manipulated into hating each other, it is as simple as saying they are now friends. Loved it. And now she's joining us in Terrasen, so I can't wait to see what will happen.

 Fan Theory Time: What do you think will happen in the last two books? (That is very sad to say)

 Personally, I think Rowan will die. I don't want him to, but there is no way they could break up and Aelin end up with someone else and in two books a lot can happen. I think he will die and it is gonna suck but I will be surprised if Rowan is endgame. He will also die before they "bang". There has been too much emphasis on them wanting to do it and not having ht time or privacy which if you recall the prequels, is a very Sam situation.

 Manon and Dorian are total endgame, as are Aedion and Lysandra but she is gonna make him work for it.

 I have said since the first book that Sam isn't dead. My theory keeps being pulled apart each book, but I am still waiting for him to like walk in and be all 'Hi guys, not dead. My bad.'

 I think Aelin will learn to accept her past and Celaena will come back in atleast some form.

 Obviously at some point we will finds this Valg King and have to kill or trap him or something, but we literally just learned about this so it feels like the beginning of a whole new series.

 I am way behind Manon to be in Aelin's court. I love it. I could even ship them. What a twist that would be. It would be like Korra and Asami all over again and I was way happy about that.

 I am hoping Elide will make it to Aelin. I felt  so bad when she had to walk to Terrasen, she can barely walk upstairs and now she's going on a cross country hike. It was sad but also the imagine was kind of hilarious.

 Anyway, thank you so much for reading.  I utterly love this series and I hope you do too. Give me your fan theories. Slag off the Aelin name switch or just say how cool it was.

 I will go down with this ship! CHAOL & CELAENA FOR LIFE!
Happy Reading.
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Thursday 1 October 2015

Mindwalker by A.J. Stieger

15:44:00 0
Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

At seventeen, Lain Fisher has already aced the Institute's elite training program for Mindwalkers, therapists who use a direct neural link to erase a patient's traumatic memories. A prodigy and the daughter of a renowned scientist-whose unexplained death left her alone in the world-Lain is driven by the need to save others.

When Steven, a troubled classmate, asks her to wipe a horrific childhood experience from his mind, Lain's superiors warn her to stay away. Steven's scars are too deep, they say; the risk too great. Yet the more time Lain spends with him, the more she begins to question everything about her society. As she defies the warnings and explores Steven's memories, it becomes clear that he's connected to something much bigger…something the Institute doesn't want the world to discover.

Lain never expected to be a rule breaker. She certainly didn't plan on falling in love with a boy she's been forbidden to help. But then, she never expected to stumble into a conspiracy that could ignite a revolution.  

A.J. Steiger
Published June 4th 2015 Oneworld Publications
Paperback, 400 pages

A graduate of Columbia University in Chicago, A. J. Steiger majored in Fiction Writing, and from the impeccable writing skill within this debut YA novel it was well worth the money. Now, I feel forced to mention that YES! This is a series, but of only two books. BOO! The first book Mindwalker is not simply another dystopian novel trying to make a quick book. This book is a true testament to the genre. YA can so often be passed off as frivolous, less crafted form of novel writing. I have always full-heartedly disagreed, and books like this one are the reason why.

With the upsurgence of positive representation of mental illness currently circling the media, Mindwalker is the perfect book, published at the perfect time. Mindwalker may seem like a typical "teenage girl out to save the world from evil corporation" type book, but in fact, this is novel about depression. This book is about psychology and the world's reaction to it, when the psychological state of someone is not "normal". The protagonist Lain herself has suffered depression after the death of her father, this leads her to require 'conditioning' purging her off "abnormal" thoughts. In a society that treats mental illness as a plague, they label each person according to the strength of their mental psyche. After conditioning Lain gets her number back up to her number, she begins her apprenticeship as a *wait for it* mindwalker! (It's the name of the book, geddit? It's a job)

This career entails in her, removing the memories that scar like daggers. PTSD, sexual abuse and anything else you can think of. She lives the memories and then removes them, what amazing technology! But what happens when she meets a boy who has no memory of his past? Well, I'll tell you what happens. SHIT GOES DOWN! She secretly helps Steven, going through his memories in order to delete them, then she notices something odd. His memories aren't real, he was conditioned to believe false truths...and so the journey begins.

I'll admit, not the most original idea, but then again, are there any original ideas. I think the more important thing about this novel is Steiger's fresh voice. Her voice, her thoughts are what make this narrative so compelling. I am with Lain, on every page through every twist and turn and I am very upset that there are only two books. It is funny and moving, and Lain has this endearing heroine quality in which she isn't violent or coincidentally equipped with amazing talents. Lain is a normal girl trying to do the right thing, and it is so refreshing. You're often taught on writing courses that if your character is good enough, you don't need to worry about a narrative and I think if there was no plot to this story, it would still be compelling because Lain is compelling. Lain and Steven are partners in crime that are here to cause trouble, and you are gonna want to read this book before Mindstormer comes out in 2016.
FAN OF SLATED? THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

 Happy Reading
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Friday 25 September 2015

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

16:13:00 0
Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

 It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle
Published  August 18, 2015 by Corgi Childrens
This novel was marvellous. Strictly speaking within classic reviewing techniques, I'm supposed to keep my opinions to myself until the end. But screw that, this book was marvellous. It's been a while since I read a book that was so unputdownable. On creative writing courses, they always teach that it doesn't matter what happens in the story if you have a vivid enough character. Within this book we literally follow a family around for a month, and it is vibrant and magnificent and yet not a lot happens. I thought this would be some crazy supernatural witchcraft kind of novel, but really we follow a family around who think they are cursed, when in reality they have had some shitty luck and have made up "The Accident Season" so that it feels like it's all happening for a reason and not just a c'est la vie sort of thing. That being said there is also this whole thing with Elsie, she's a dead, alive girl who was a still born baby ghost thing? Honestly that made no sense, the book spent time convincing me the accident season didn't actually exist, that it was coincidence and repressed fear from Sam's abusive dad. Then suddenly there was a dead baby ghost. It made no sense within the narrative but I didn't care. 

 Seventeen year old Cara is our protagonist. She seems fairly average has an older sister, a best friend and a not at all biologically related  step-brother (you can tell what happens immediately can't you?) The book is very PLL (Pretty Little Liars) if everyone was open and honest there would be no accident season. Everything would be much simpler, but then there would be no story, and it is one hell of a story. Each character has something forbidden, some secret they are frightened of. Sam and Cara are in love with each other, obviously a taboo relationship, as are Cara's sister and best friend. But her sister is in an abusive relationship and has repressed memories of being abused by their step-father. A fact in which Cara's mother knows and all the while they are all searching for this girl Elsie from school who has disappeared and nobody knows who she is.  Ironically as well, invisible, ghost girl Elsie opened a secret booth in their school so that everyone can let out these secrets and all of this is honed into an enchanting, crazy beautiful work of writing craftmanship. It is a wild, whimsical dream book. I can't tell what was real and what was intense teenage, drunken imagination. This group of teens stole my heart with their tipsy minds and surprising fear. I shipped Sam and Cara, they aren't actually related and besides, they grew up together as best friends.  At first the idea made me uncomfortable but 100 pages in I was sold. 

 Overall I loved this book, I immediately popped it onto my Favourites shelf on Goodreads and couldn't stand to put it down for a second, so even ended up taking it on a pedalo. READ IT. READ IT. REAAAAD IT. 

 Happy Reading.

 READ IT.

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Wednesday 2 September 2015

In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

06:02:00 0
Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

 Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds.

They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids.
Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire. 
Image from Twirling Pages

Behold, I finally read the final book in the Darkest Minds trilogy, and my world was a it satisfying! I should probably do a quick synopsis. So one day, a bunch of children get this "virus", many of them die, but the ones that don't get supernatural powers.I know what you are thinking LAME! But no, we skip years ahead in which all these children are in concentration camps and the trilogy kicks off with Ruby escaping her camp. I won't say anymore because you will want to read this series. Go now if you haven't, then come back and we can talk about it then. BYEEEEE!

 Have you gone?
Good.

 I'm just gonna jump right into it, Ruby is the protagonist I have been waiting for my whole life. Bracken is the almighty queen of character development, there is not a single character, no matter how small and seemingly meaningless who doesn't change due to the events of the book, Ruby obviously changing the most. She begins in the Darkest Minds very meek and scared and then turns into this fighting, bad-ass, army trained hero. During 'In The Afterlight', this persona isn't gone, but she is struggling. I love it when characters struggle. Especially when it's against things they themselves have done, the way they see themselves. It is so mesmerizing to go into that persons head and feel them struggle, because very few authors show struggle the way it is, monotonous and constant. It doesn't come and go and get resolved in the next chapter. No! Bracken makes it realistic, it's underlying in every scene, every snip of dialogue and it is beautiful to read. 

 Even Clancy at the end of this book is changed, not willingly but changed and how Ruby dealt with him when she saw him in his fragile state.Taking away the memories of being tortured and researched on was just lovely and his face afterwards. And the twist where it turns out he had been manipulating her throughout the whole book! WHAAATTT?! I had no clue. Though admittedly Clancy isn't as much in this book as he was previously, the bad guy in this book is Ruby against herself. Not to mention the in fighting from the kids. It's almost like the seams are all fraying and falling apart in this book and all the characters are in a rush to stop the camps, before the string falls loose altogether. Ruby and Cole are grabbing at the fraying strings and trying to pull them back together and nobody else is even noticing the strain. That was one hell of a metaphor. 

 There was only one thing I wasn't too keen on. Sex. Now this is no Fifty Shades of BDSM. But when authors try to write people having sex without getting graphic, it's just a lot of gross innuendos. Maybe it's my personal preference, maybe it's a universal shudder down the spine- but honestly a sentence of 'then we had sex.' would make me a lot more comfortable than 'our bodies became one' yada yada yada. Then again I can't really think of any good ways to combat this issue and still have a visual and romantic scene, so keep trying authors. 

 All in all, this ending was very satisfying, it tied all the ends together with enough slack that you can guess and imagine what happened. You know the world will change now and even though you don't get to see it. Somehow, it's okay.  This is one of my favourite series of all time and I highly recommend you read it. I've tried to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, because this series is one hell of a ride, and I don't want to tell you too much about where your going,

 Happy Reading
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Tuesday 1 September 2015

The Queen of The Tearling by Erika Johansen

01:45:00 2
Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

 An untested young princess must claim her throne, learn to become a queen, and combat a malevolent sorceress in an epic battle between light and darkness in this spectacular debut—the first novel in a trilogy.

Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom's haunted past . . . or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.

Long ago, Kelsea's forefathers sailed away from a decaying world to establish a new land free of modern technology. Three hundred years later, this feudal society has divided into three fearful nations who pay duties to a fourth: the powerful Mortmesne, ruled by the cunning Red Queen. Now, on Kelsea's nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of the Queen's Guard—loyal soldiers who protect the throne—have appeared to escort the princess on a perilous journey to the capital to ascend to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling.

Though born of royal blood and in possession of the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic, Kelsea has never felt more uncertain of her ability to rule. But the shocking evil she discovers in the heart of her realm will precipitate an act of immense daring, throwing the entire kingdom into turmoil—and unleashing the Red Queen's vengeance. A cabal of enemies with an array of deadly weapons, from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic, plots to destroy her. But Kelsea is growing in strength and stealth, her steely resolve earning her loyal allies, including the Queen's Guard, led by the enigmatic Lazarus, and the intriguing outlaw known simply as "the Fetch."
Kelsea's quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun. Riddled with mysteries, betrayals, and treacherous battles, Kelsea's journey is a trial by fire that will either forge a legend . . . or destroy her.




 No joking, that is seriously the entire blurb. Yikes. 

 Having been published back in October 2013, I'm a bit late to The Queen of The Tearling series. There is already another book . Whether I'm going to read it is still to be decided. This novel begins strong, a secret princess is found and has to leave everything she knows for a life of danger. However, it goes downhill from there. You can probably tell from the blurb but Erika Johansen doesn't want to miss anything out. It takes us almost 100 pa
ges to get Kelsea  to that goddamn palace and nothing eventful happens. She runs away from some bad guys, wakes up in a group of bad guys and then they just let her go. That is literally 100 pages of this novel. It is very slow, very detailed and very hard to keep reading. Luckily I was on holiday as I was reading this, so I could pop it down and come back later. 

 Apart from the narrative being too slow, I was not sold on Kelsea as a protagonist. She's (and please excuse my language) a bit of a dick. 
"What does she see when she looks in the mirror? Kelsea wondered. How could a woman who looked so old still place so much importance on being attractive? Kelsea saw now that there was something far worse than being ugly: being ugly and thinking you were beautiful."
Because how dare anyone ugly accept themselves and love themselves with confidence. Johansen is really attempting to create this dowdy princess and that's cool, but in essence she has created a Regina George who thinks she's a Cady Heron. There is also no love interest, well officially there isn't. But of course plain, old, bitter Kelsea has hoardes of men at her beck and call, all ready to die for her honour at the slightest whim. I just really didn't care about her, even as she was saving people I was thinking, yeah that's great Kelsea - but now everyone in the kingdom will be killed in the war that you just started. 

 There is honestly nothing else that happens. In two paragraphs I have summarised 500 pages of action. It's slow, it's so slow. However, if you are the kind of person who reads several books at once, a bit of this, a bit of that. Then this will work for you. This is honestly a new Bella Swan for all the people who have been missing her. Well, enjoy.

 Happy Reading,
Louise




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Thursday 9 July 2015

Cover Reveal: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

16:18:00 0

Due to be released February 2016


The second book in the Red Queen series is due out February next year. Now as the title would suggest obviously the cover has just been revealed and I like it. I don't love it. It just seems too similar to the first cover and yet I still think it is beautiful and will look  lovely on my bookshelf. "Kneel or Bleed" now that is a bit of excitement. It sounds perfect for this series and  really is violent and ahhh. 

 If there's one thing Mare Barrow knows, it's that she's different.

Mare Barrow's blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: She is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?
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Fairest by Marissa Meyer

04:40:00 0
Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)
In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

 I want to start off by addressing this cover, this series always has stunning cover art and I do judge a book by it's cover, not aggressively but there is always a small part of me affected by the cover. This cover is stunning, they all are but this is my favourite, the fire, the veil, it's haunting and dark and yet has a sadness about it. It tells me so much about the book with just images. I love it.

 This is the sentiment throughout the book. I loved it, and I know I'm supposed to keep my opinion to the end, but this simply can't wait. Within Cinder, Queen Levana is simply the bad guy - the evil queen, and yet within Fairest we delve into her past. How her beginnings were full of good intentions and cruel treatment. I was surprised Cinder's mother was so vicious, it was a genius and realistic twist. Levana's struggle was so engaging to read and I didn't want it to end. I flew through the book and wished I'd read it slower.

 From her hard childhood and bullying from her sister, orphaned and alone Levana falls in love with a guard. Hint: Winter's father. Being the only person in the palace who is kind to her this doesn't surprise me but the way it develops, the way her mind becomes confused and obsessed with what she thinks love is and what it should be. You see a child caught up in something, her immaturity being her greatest downfall. Her insecurities having this huge power over her and yet still trying to do better but repeatedly doing worse. Levana honestly seemed like a victim, this changes only as she becomes more twisted with power after her lover's wife dies. She becomes terrifying, eventually killing the man she loves and becoming the Levana we see within the series. We meet Winter and Cinder as children and see her "death" being plotted.

 As it's in first person, we are able to see all of Levana's thinking, the way her mind works. She rationalizes all the sick things she does and you can almost understand her reasoning. Which is messed up and really is a technique so sophisticated, it perfectly shows the relevance of YA fiction. It is smart and new and fresh. It follows the same feel as the previous novels but gives a new insight into the villain, the kind of which I haven't seen since Harry Potter. This novel makes Levana a person, not simply a two dimensional, cardboard villain for our hero to fight. She now has a journey and a background and a heart. I honestly fell a little in love with her and now hope she gets some form of a happy ending in the final book. Yet before this book I couldn't have cared about her at all.

 Overall this book is more than just a bridge to keep us going until Winter. This is a solid beautiful asset to the series and has made this more than you're average YA dystopian series. I love it.
Winter is out this November. 



Happy Reading!
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