Review: After Eden (After Eden #1) by Helen Douglas

Firstly, thanks to Bloomsbury Australia for this review copy <3



Date Read: November 28 - 30 2013

Date Released: January 1st 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury Australia

Source: ARC via publisher

Genre: Sci-fi/time travel
My Rating: 

Synopsis:

"When mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school Eden Anfield is intrigued. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So how come he doesn't recognise pizza and hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden most, however, is the interest he's taking in her.

As Eden falls in love with Ryan, she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written fifty years in the future. Unravelling Ryan's secret, she discovers he has one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success."

---

I’m not quite sure how I feel about After Eden. I’d wanted to read this since hearing about it in 2012 but the Australian release date kept getting pushed back; by the time I got my hands on this I think the hype just sort of died and I wasn’t as excited to read it anymore. There was also the issue that I’d read another time travel book before this, and the former really blew me away. I couldn’t help but compare the two which meant After Eden wasn’t as great as I wanted it to be.

In a small English town, new kid, beautiful and mysterious Ryan, is drawn to seemingly ordinary Eden. As the two become closer questions arise, friendships are tested, and there don’t seem to be enough answers for Ryan’s presence and his mysterious ways.

Eden was so bland and boring. She’s not ambitious or strong, just sort of goes with the flow with wherever life is taking her. A lot of the time I thought she was lost in her own little world, going about her daily life in the here and now and not thinking at all about her future. I guess that’s alright given that I didn’t really know what I wanted to do after high school, but the fact that she doesn’t care… well it made me not care for her. I couldn’t really relate to her.

Ryan was sweet I guess. I liked that he wasn’t damaged or broken. However, his secrets and mysteriousness coupled with how keen he was on Eden made me just a little wary. Let’s be honest, in real life, his enthusiasm would border on obsession and I just wasn’t as ok with that as I wanted to be.

In the face of the actual plot dealing with time travel, I thought After Eden lacked the focus it should’ve had on this aspect and instead concentrated too much on the high school life. I got none of the impending rush or doom that usually accompanies a revelation of this scale. For ¾ of this I felt like I was watching everything on mute, or through a hazy veil which significantly dulled my emotions and response to this book.

I really liked the astronomy aspect to this book – it gave it a very romantic feeling. Instead of accentuating the time travel and supposed seriousness of the plot though, I thought this took away from the point of the book and made it a fluffy high school read.

Not much else to say because I just have this sense of ennui after reading this book. Hopefully the sequel holds more promise.

Review: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

Firstly, thanks to WalkerBooks Australia for this review copy <3



Date Read: January 29 2015
Date Released: March 25th 2014
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: ARC via publisher
Genre: Magical realism
My Rating: 

Synopsis:
"Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.
Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava—in all other ways a normal girl—is born with the wings of a bird.

In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naïve to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration.

That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava’s quest and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo.

First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human."

---

“Happiness had a pungent scent, like the sourest lime or lemon. Broken hearts smelled surprisingly sweet. Sadness filled the air with a salty, sea-like redolence; death like sadness.”

This was my first foray into magical realism and I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. It definitely took a while to get used to but I think once I did I really enjoyed this book. However, I thought the blurb was a bit misleading. It said Ava Lavender tries to understand why she was born with wings and embarks on a quest to find out why with a generational saga. This wasn’t so much about Ava’s own quest as it was an explanation into the history of the women in her family. I think I expected more of her. I felt sort of distant from her for a LOT of the book.

Ava’s female ancestors certainly all have their own unique stories, beginning with Ava’s great-grandmother, her grandmother Emilienne and her mother Viviane. It’s a story of intense heartbreak and misfortune that filters down the female line. Personally, I thought there was too much bad stuff going on, to the point where I didn’t feel anything. It was just one tragedy or heartbreak after the next and I was like “oh here we go what bad luck is going to befall them next” to the point where it was exhausting. The onslaught left me immune to feeling anything. There were definitely some happy moments but I just knew something bad would happen after.

I did like the women themselves though. I liked Emilenne’s resilience and cold strength, Viviane’s passion and the way Ava (when we FINALLY got to the ‘present’ of her story) just took her wings in stride. I loved Ava’s friend Cardigan who treats her as a true friend, especially towards the end of the book.

There were definitely some things that happened in this that made me extremely uncomfortable and were just another addition to the terrible things that happened to Ava and her family. It made me cringe and lose faith in humanity. But it made me realise the importance of family and how people can come together in bad times to support each other.

There’s also a hint of mystery tied into the plot that increases the intrigue of the Roux women’s tribulations and adds depth to the existence of Ava’s wings. The tinge of mystery in the history (hey that rhymes!) made the story more fascinating and again, made this a really wonderful take on magical realism.

The writing of this book was simply stunning. Walton’s prose is so elegant and poetic and magical and it was her writing that made my heart ache. The way she described things accentuated the magical realism element of this saga. My favourites were the descriptions of Emilienne’s bakery – those delectable pastries and breads and buns and desserts omg *mouth waters*

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is a beautifully written book of the strange events of Ava Lavender and the sorrows of her family. Falling in love, falling out of love, heartbreak and generations of misfortune come swooping down as Ava learns to open her wings and find her place in the world.

“It whispered to me from dark corners during lonely nights. It was the song of the birds in spring and the call of the wind through bare branches on a cold winter afternoon. Fate. Both my anguish and my solace.”

Review: Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard

Firstly, thanks to Hachette Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: January 30 - February 1 2015
Release Date: February 10th 2015
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Sci-fi/fantasy
My rating: 

Synopsis:

"The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?"

---

“I see a world on the edge of a blade. Without balance, it will fall.”

I almost didn’t request Red Queen. Almost. But at the last minute I decided to click the request button. You guy this is one of the best debuts I’ve ever read and Aveyard has set the benchmark high for 2015 debuts! And 2015 releases altogether really.

When I saw that beautiful cover I was intrigued. It’s beautiful yet macabre and haunting at the same time. I’ve been tricked by gorgeous covers before (a le The Selection), and by raving reviews with gorgeous covers (queue The Winner’s Curse) so I was hesitant with Red Queen. I proceeded with caution. This had the grittiness The Selection lacked and the climbing crescendo of a plot The Winner’s Curse failed to achieve.

I know, I know, why am I comparing Red Queen to other books in a review? I don’t usually do this but Red Queen actually seemed like familiar territory – it’s got elements of a lot of books I’ve read. I couldn’t help but compare this to The Selection – the impoverished girl suddenly thrust into the world of royalty; The Winner’s Curse – a ploy that was waiting to be executed, all the while the characters are all on a knife’s edge; Shadow & Bone – a common girl suddenly finding that she has powers… AND HEROES/X-MEN if the situation were flipped because SUPERPOWERS (so sort of like Shatter Me).

“You are no match for us. We are your betters. We are gods.”

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I started Red Queen. I think because of the hype I actually lowered my expectations considerably and thought this might be a fluffy dystopian. I have never been more glad to be proven wrong! This is anything but fluffy. The world of Reds and Silvers isn’t just a term to separate the elitist born of money and nobility. This is a world where Silvers are gods because they have POWERS. They freaking BLEED a different colour to us red-blooded humans. WTF right? It’s so cool! But at the same time it’s not because the Reds are treated like trash, they’re enslaved and beaten down on by the Silvers. And they can’t do anything about it because what’s a human to do but cower when your enemy can enter your mind and control you, burn you alive, drown you on the spot or use any metal and turn them into knives to pierce your heart? A rebellion is not so simple after all. Especially when all the Reds are basically being conscripted to fight a war with a nation in the same situation of Reds and Silvers.

“Their Silver war is being paid for in Red blood.”

Enter Mare Barrows a Red who finds herself in the unlikely situation of having her own power! *Jumps up and down in glee* The royals pretend to make her one of their own and she’s thrown into their world and a lot of shit goes down.

“At least you knew this was coming. I woke up with morning and didn’t even have a boyfriend.”

And so begins the game of the nobility where Mare is thrust into a dangerous world where Silvers all have their own secrets and nobody is who they seem. This book is filled with action-packed scenes and Aveyard doesn’t hold back on the fighting, I felt like I was watching an episode of Heroes I swear!

“One girl, barely twelve years old, explodes everything she touches like some kind of walking bomb.”

“Evangeline answers with a flurry of metal shards, all of them sharp and deadly, pointed at my heart as they rip through the air.”

I’ll admit I predicted how the book would turn out but the way it was executed was fabulous. Everything was believable, Mare relatable, most of the characters layered in their own ways. Sure there were some stereotypical characters but in light of all that was going on I could overlook the tropes.

Aveyard’s writing is entrancing and she pulled me right into this dystopia of a fantasy world. I loved how this wasn’t a post-apocalyptic US or some actual country, but it’s a completely made up world with altered technology like airships in addition to trains. What made this so believable was the way things were presented. Living in the poor Red Stilts, Mare hasn’t seen much so the first time she sees a giraffe (I’m pretty sure it’s a giraffe) she describes it as having an extremely long neck and not saying the name of the animal because she doesn’t know it! She describes a lot of things and that really gave the impression of a world where the Reds really were isolated from things. Much real. Much believe. SHOWING NOT TELLING = WIN.

“A little girl… feeds tiny bits of apple to a spotted, horse-like creature with an impossibly long neck.”

I can’t say much more without giving anything away but the two princes Cal (the crown prince) and Maven, are extremely enigmatic, intriguing, sweet, tortured and whew. But don’t expect this to be romance heavy, Mare’s got a head on her shoulders and she uses it. She knows her cause and what she aims to do and she never lets herself waver from that. I loved her determination and her belief in the future she wanted.

“I must do everything I can until my blood is matched and my game is over.”

Red Queen had everything I wanted in a sci-fi/fantasy: a relatable heroine whose resolve never wavered, superpowers accentuated with fantastic action-packed fight scenes, hidden motives, a driven plot, bloodshed and girl power! The divide is not in gender, but in blood and what power each Silver possesses. Thus, one Red has the power to match the Silvers and tip the scales.

“And we will rise up, Red as the dawn.”

Review: The Mime Order (The Bone Season #2) by Samantha Shannon

Firstly, thanks to Bloomsbury Australia for this review copy <3



Release Date: January 27th 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Australia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Sci-fi/paranormal
My rating: 

This review contains spoilers for The Bone Season but not The Mime Order.

Synopsis:

"Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided."

---

“Hope is the lifeblood of revolution. Without it, we are nothing but ash, waiting for the wind to take us.”

When I turned the last page of The Bone Season last year I knew that I would trust whatever journey Samantha Shannon took us over the course of the next 6 books. Some 500 pages later as I finished The Mime Order, I knew that trust had not been misplaced.

“And words, my walker – well, words are everything. Words give wings to those that have been stamped upon, broken beyond all hope of repair.”

Get ready to deep dive back into the world of Scion and strap yourselves in for a wild ride because Shannon’s gripping sequel holds you from the first page, much like how Paige holds the dreamscapes of those she’s jumped into. You surrender yourself and your surroundings to The Mime Order. You are in Scion.

Paige is back to being mollisher of I4. Well sort of. She’s trying to incite change in the voyant world and warn the Unnatural Assembly of the impending danger of the Rephaim. She’s a changed girl. No longer the mollisher that bows to the White Binder’s every whim, she now questions his actions and those around her. I loved her growth in TMO from TBS. I still remember our girl telling Warden she’d had enough in Sheol 1 when he pushed her, but now? Now she doesn’t give up. Paige manages to get herself in so many dangerous and sticky (slimy, literally) situations but she always thinks ahead. She holds so much potential and the power she harnesses is phenomenal. Because she has sparked a rebellion and she’s the only one strong enough to turn that into a revolution.

“I want you to jump into the aether as if you belonged there. I want you to fly between dreamscapes.”

I loved being able to see the Seven Seals in-depth. Where we got snippets of events and memories from The Bone Season, we see the real thing in The Mime Order. There’s ever kind and caring Nick who’s one of the most genuine and sweet guys I’ve ever read; adorable Zeke who I think is still finding his place; the bitter Nadine who is so loyal to Jaxon and has to step down as temporary mollisher when Paige returns; sweet Eliza who loves the Seven Seals more than anything. And then there is Jaxon Hall. You know how people used to go “talk to the hand” (or still do I don’t know) because they didn’t really care what you had to say and thought themselves better than you? This is Jaxon Hall. And he has every right. He is arrogant, intelligent, cunning, flamboyant, eccentric, a pure genius, fabulous and a dickhead. Ohmygoodness the way he speaks is so lavish and eloquent, Shannon has really done a number on his dialogue to make him stand out. I adored the layers of his character. Does he really care about his Seven Seals? Is it their actual person he cares for? Or what their gifts offer him? Or that they worship him? It was amazing reading and slowly peeling back the layers that were Jaxon Hall only to find more underneath. Mark my words, we haven’t seen them all yet. This man is a piece of work I tell you. I think the White Binder is one of the most intricately developed and memorable characters I’ve read in my entire life.

“I know we have our differences, but we are the Seven Seals. Brought together across oceans and fault lines by the mysterious wiles of the aether. It wasn’t chance. It was fate. And we shall bring about a day of reckoning in London.”

You know what else is memorable? The world building of this Scion London Shannon has created. There was rustic Sheol I in The Bone Season and now we can truly see Paige’s Scion through her eyes as she traverses through the sections. The descriptions of the city are so detailed and enigmatic, enticing yet repulsing. Filled with slums, mazes of streets and buildings above and below ground, it’s almost like the whole of Scion is encased in a sheen of poverty regardless of the riches of the mime-lords and mime-queens. I got the sense that the luxurious furnishings were slightly shabby with time, passed down through the decades from a better era. Buildings decayed by the rain and perpetually dank. Yet this is balanced with the lush, mouth-watering foods the rich do have money to spend on. Wao I’d be willing to live one day in Scion just to taste the amazing foods Shannon described. Fantastic writing is fantastic.

“Shiny buttered peas, steaming in paper ramekins; masses of mashed potato, some fluffy white, some tined with pea-green or rose; sausages spitting in a cast-iron pan.”

Underneath all this worn grandeur are lies upon lies. Conspiracies within conspiracies. Scion. Rephaim. The Unnatural Assembly. There are secrets everywhere. As the story continues, the plot thickens and I had no idea what to make of everything that was happening and who to start pointing fingers at. It’s all so delectably crafted so that you just keep gobbling up the words and then pages trying to see what happens next – the settling in Scion of Part One, the questions beginning to form in Part Two, and then that increasing tension and jaw dropping Part Three which was my personal favourite. THEN, Shannon decides to throw me completely off my feet with the last page. BOOM. And where is Warden you ask? Well you’ll have to read and find out (; I will say one thing – I think I love him.

“My sordid, sacred SciLo, my prison and my home.”

And here we are. Secrets, lies, betrayals and a helluva lot of tension later… there are more secrets, lies and betrayal. Scion, you just keep on giving.

“You’ll have to wait and see how it ends.”

Review: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! What better way to start off the new year than with an upcoming release that absolutely blew me away?

Firstly, thanks to Penguin Teen Australia for this review copy <3




Release Date: January 7th 2015
Publisher: Penguin Australia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Contemporary
My rating: 

Synopsis:

"Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the 'natural wonders' of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself - a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink."

---

 

“This is our project. We started it together, and we end it together.”

I’m sort of speechless as I sit here in front of my computer, trying to figure out how to word this review with tear tracks on my cheeks. I didn’t know what to expect when I got sent this book from Penguin Teen Australia. It crept up on me and when I read the blurb and saw it compared to TFIOS I was sceptical. A lot of books have drawn comparisons to popular YA titles lately. It’s not the same. No two books are. But TFIOS and All the Bright Places are the same in the way they made me go on an epic feels trip. One that had me laughing, wondering, speculating, sobbing and then in the end, “forever changed”.

Suicide and mental illness are extremely touchy subjects and I try to stay away from these kinds of books because I’m a sensitive person and I get affected by things really easily. They’re also not often portrayed as much in YA. But I couldn’t resist the pull of All the Bright Places and I’m so glad I read it because I think Niven got everything right. I could tell she’d done her research in every aspect and oh how I could relate.

“I shut down. I went blank… Think a long, dark sleep where you don’t dream at all.”

We meet Violet Markey through the eyes of Theodore Finch as both are standing on the ledge of their school’s bell tower, both contemplating suicide but Finch somehow knows that Violet doesn’t really want to be up there. They meet again in US Geography and are paired together to find unique places in their state of Indiana. What ensues is a journey of discovering quaint places, seeing beauty in the world around us, and finding love.

“The thing, is there are good days and bad days.”

I don’t know how I feel about Violet for the majority of the book. I could definitely relate to her though. She had extricated herself from the world after her sister’s death and trying to cope with everything. I liked the way she came out of her shell as the book progressed but I felt she was very passive for most of it and didn’t really play a role until the end. That ending though. Everything she felt, everything she thought, I completely understood, and by the last page I loved how she’d grown and changed as a person.

“Just because they’re dead, they don’t have to be. And neither do we.”

For me this book was all about Finch. He’s the one with restless thoughts that will not cease, the kind that distract and will not give peace of mind. He’s constantly wandering, needing to be on the move, incessantly needing to do things; he’s filled with random facts and it’s people like him, who are the on the outside looking in who see the most – who manage to observe the important things in life and see that bigger picture. I could relate to Finch in so many ways. Thoughts like his I’ve harboured at some point (but on a smaller scale) and through Niven’s skill and finesse, I was able to feel everything else on Finch’s scale and it broke me. I love Theodore Finch.

“No more worrying about where we’re going or what’s to become of us or if we’ll ever disappoint another person again.”

One of the most realistic features of this story are the secondary characters. They’re secondary for a reason, adding substance, making the main characters shine brighter. I loved how nobody fit into one mould. So many American YA books set in high school have these stereotypes and that was NOT what it was like for me at school and I doubt it was like that for many others. High school for me was not like in the movies. In All the Bright Places, the popular girl isn’t a total bitch. Just because Violet isn’t hanging out with the popular group anymore, doesn’t make the popular group hate her or anything. The popular guy isn’t a dumb jock who cheats. I thought Ryan was actually a decent guy. All the characters were decent people, each with their own flaws but with their own good qualities too. That’s what high school was like for me.

At the end of the day All the Bright Places deals with issues of bullying, suicide, labelling, mental illness and coping with loss. Despite these sad themes Niven has artfully woven these ideas into a book that’s almost like a road-trip, filled with amazing real places in Indiana that are of significance to someone, somewhere. Her writing is eloquent and flows: hesitant for Violet, harried yet poetic for Finch. Niven has quoted bits of literature throughout that really accentuate the meaning of the story. All the Bright Places draws you into Violet and Finch’s world of discovery, marks you with their words and leaves you forever changed as you realise we all leave a piece of us wherever we go.

“I will always be here, in the offerings and people I left behind.”

Discussion Review: Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

I'm doing something a little different today! If you've ever been on YA Midnight Reads (and obviously you have duh) you'll know Melanie, Celine and Larissa often do discussion reviews. Well today I've got Melanie over here co-reviewing RITES OF PASSAGE with me. I'm so excited because this is the first time I've done one of these and it was so fun! Mel is one my best blogging friends and I was thrilled to do this with her <3

Firstly, thanks to HarperCollins Australia for this ARC <3



Release Date: September 9 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Contemporary
Mel's rating: 

My rating: 

Synopsis:

"Sam McKenna’s never turned down a dare. And she's not going to start with the last one her brother gave her before he died.

So Sam joins the first-ever class of girls at the prestigious Denmark Military Academy. She’s expecting push-ups and long runs, rope climbing and mud-crawling. As a military brat, she can handle an obstacle course just as well as the boys. She's even expecting the hostility she gets from some of the cadets who don’t think girls belong there. What she’s not expecting is her fiery attraction to her drill sergeant. But dating is strictly forbidden and Sam won't risk her future, or the dare, on something so petty...no matter how much she wants him.

As Sam struggles to prove herself, she discovers that some of the boys don’t just want her gone—they will stop at nothing to drive her out. When their petty threats turn to brutal hazing, bleeding into every corner of her life, she realizes they are not acting alone. A decades-old secret society is alive and active… and determined to force her out.
At any cost.

Now time's running short. Sam must decide who she can trust...and choosing the wrong person could have deadly consequences."

---

"I'm physically incapable of saying no to a dare"

Jaz: I absolutely loved Rites, from the beginning it was so intense and felt so genuine!

Melanie: Right? I felt like I was at Military school myself, I was definitely not surprised to find out that the author actually went there when she was younger.

Jaz: That made it all the more real. I really felt like I was Sam going through the brutal treatment of being a 'Worm' at the DMA. I had no idea it would be like that. The culture, the way they treated Sam and the other new female recruits though - brutal!

Melanie: Yeah, I felt myself getting pretty angry for Sam because of the way she was treated. I loved her perseverance and bravery to stand up for herself. I clicked with her pretty quickly.

Jaz: Me too! I thought she was a fantastic protagonist. Henley did this amazing job of making her relatable in a situation that would be very hard to picture. I mean, I would not survive one day in that Academy. The way Sam never backed down was spectacular. I really admired her strength; she was always so selfless too - some of her fellow recruits dragged her down but she would always wait for them and encourage them.

“I won’t turn on her. We’ve just got to work harder to make her understand what she’s got to do.”

Melanie: A totally admirable character. I definitely would not have survived either, and with all that crap her peers and family gave her? I cannot imagine how physically and emotionally terrifying that would be--the misogyny was just horrid.

“I look forward to many more talks like this before you quit the Corps and go running back home to Daddy… Why don’t you give up, McKenna?”

Jaz: Right? Everybody was so sexist. I didn't know that way of thinking still existed in such an advanced place. It was disheartening to see. I mean I thought the DMA and Sam's family would be proud that a female was willing to give up so much to serve her country? I guess it's a different mindset for them... I'm glad she managed to find friends in unsuspecting places though!

Melanie: Exactly, and instead, they think that having a girl is a burden because they think that girls will only bring them down and that they aren't as good as boys. Ugh.

“No one expects you to make it. No one wants you to make it. You don’t belong here, McKenna. Females don’t belong here”

Jaz: I think that Sam proved she was as good as, if not better than, many of the male recruits!

Melanie: She totally kicked all their asses. What are your thoughts on the romance?

Jaz: OHMYGOD. That romance. Ughhhh *bites lips* Mel, 3 words: Drill Sergeant Stamm

That is all.

*Swoons*

“He leans in, his face a breath away from mine.”

Melanie: Haha! Yes he is pretty swoony. But I was so confused at first because she had a 'sort of' romance in the first half with a totally different guy when in the synopsis it said that Sam falls for her drill sergeant.

Jaz: Oh yeah.... I know what you mean. But I was rooting for her and Drill from the beginning. Although the other guy was very sweet and supportive.

To an extent anyway…

Melanie: Oh yes to an extent. The part where Drill brings the pie to her room was so adorable!

Jaz: Yeh during Thanksgving. It was so sweet. And all the little things he did for her too. The way Drill treated everybody fairly, how he saw her potential and wasn't there to see her fail, like so many others. I absolutely loved his belief in her. I think he actually risked a lot for her?

Melanie: Yes he did. He was so supportive of her and he treated her with respect. I also loved how it didn't overtake the plot.

Jaz: Agreed! The best part was that the romance was always in the background and never overtook the story. And that made the romance so much more... Worth it? The tiny snippets and moments we managed to glean were made the more precious and heart achingly sweet. That plot though... I didn't know things could get so serious.

Melanie: It was a pretty intense plot line and kept me engaged the entire time. I've never read anything to do with military school before and now I'm really interested in reading more books centered around it.

Jaz: Same! Assuming they're all written this well. I loved the way this was intense from the very beginning. Henley just got right into it and kept building up. There was a skill in having the story never falter. From the Smoke Shows and the challenges, and how the plot darkened as it went along…

“I nearly killed her the other night. Shit, I’ve seen guys crumble with smoke shows half as bad.”

Melanie: I don't think there was a moment in this book where I was bored. There were so many things happening and I loved how every little detail was included and written with such detail.

Jaz: And how we got everything the blurb said and more! I mean it mentioned a decades-old society intent on getting Sam out but I had no idea just how full-blown things could get. Serious business there Mel.

Melanie: For once the synopsis doesn't lie! I absolutely hate it when it does, just disappoints me so much.

Jaz: I was actually quite scared as I was reading. So mysterious and enthralling. There was so much suspense!

Melanie: Yeah, I felt every emotion in this book.

Jaz: And there were so many of them. Fear for Sam, intrigue at what the hell was going on, worry at what the heck Sam's friends were doing.... And a lot of swoon for Drill.

Melanie: And sadness when you realise that there's no more pages left in the book.

Jaz: But there has to be a sequel. There HAS to be. Especially the way it ended.

Melanie: Oh yes absolutely. Pretty much everyone who has read it has mentioned that they want a sequel. So it simply just has to happen. It needs to happen.

Jaz: It totally does. Were you also surprised at how well Rites was written? I couldn't tell this was a debut novel! I mean, Henley's writing was so sophisticated and she had so much control of her characters, making them unique and able to develop the plot so well.

Melanie: The author has some serious talent. I will definitely try anything by her so she better keep on writing! Her characters were three-dimensional and everything felt so real. Was there anything in here that you disliked?

Jaz: I think the ending... It was just left hanging and I wanted a bit more I guess. You?

Melanie: Yeah, I definitely agree on that. I also felt the romance with the other dude at the start was a bit unnecessary.

Jaz: Oh yeah true. But it seemed he did genuinely like her... Just a bit random though.

Oh and I liked how it dealt with family issues and what it means to have your family in the military. I mean Sam entered the academy as a dare from her late brother. And in a way I think it's HER coping mechanism? It seems her family all dealt with Amos' death in different ways…

Melanie: The family aspect was really intriguing. Yes, in a way, it was her way of coping with her brother's death.

Yep. Overall, Rites was an outstanding read. I haven't ever read anything like this and the characters, romance, plot and originality were all close to perfection. Now if we got a sequel, I'd be VERY pleased.

Jaz: Completely agree. I NEED MORE STAMM!

“Let’s finish this.”

---

And because Joy sent me an extra set of signed postcards + bookmark I have 1 set to giveaway! This giveaway is AUSTRALIA only. Winner must reply within 48h or a new one will be picked

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Firstly, thanks to Bloomsbury Australia for this review copy <3



Date Read: May 27 - 29 2014
Release Date: September 11th 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury Australia
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Fantasy
My rating:  (BEST BOOK OF 2014, NOT ENOUGH STARS TO RATE)

Synopsis:

"Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

The bestselling series that has captured readers all over the world reaches new heights in this sequel to the New York Times best-selling Crown of Midnight. Packed with heart-pounding action, fierce new characters, and swoon-worthy romance, this third book will enthrall readers from start to finish"

---

“She would not let that light go out.”

Since reading Crown of Midnight in June last year, it has been my favourite book. It no longer stands as my favourite book ever since I finished Heir of Fire. If you need just 1 book this year, it’s Heir of Fire. I’m going to attempt to top my review of Crown of Midnight which I believe is the best review I have ever written, but it’s going to be hard because I’m at a loss of words of how to describe the force of nature that is Sarah J Maas and her magic. I know, I’ve managed to gush for AGES but it’s just rambling let’s be honest. Oh the feels.

I’m not sure how Maas does it but she just tops herself every time and I am in awe of her skill. It’s the end of May and I have to wait until SEPTEMBER for the actual book to be released? I only had to wait 2 months last year… Now I wait more than 3! Ugh. I really just need book 4 right now.

“Wendlyn. A land of myths and monsters – of legends and nightmares and flesh.”

Sent to Wendlyn by Chaol to ensure her safety, the King’s Champion has other things on her mind than finding battle plans to help the King of Adarlan infiltrate Wendlyn. Our badass heroine is on her own journey to get answers about the Wyrdkeys from the legendary Fae. But the journey proves to be one of personal growth. Celaena must finally face the demons from her past and the pain that turned her into a cold-blooded assassin. She must embrace who she is and learn to control what’s inside her. Following Celaena on this path was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever read. Period. Her development, discipline and sheer determination astounded me. This girl is what YA heroines should be. Independent. Strong. Determined. Selfless. Brave. So so brave – I admire her so much. My heart ached for this girl whose own was shredded to pieces and yet she still found the courage to stand on her own two feet and fight. Hers was a story about facing the past and family (I bawled). She is a force of her own that blazes and shines so brightly. She is the Heir of Fire.

“Then she ripped everything from that well inside her, ripped it out with both hands and her entire, raging, hopeless heart.”

Heir of Fire actually switches between multiple third person POVs so that the reader can get a feel of what is going on through Erilea. Other than Celaena, we follow Chaol and Dorian in Adarlan, and Manon Blackbeak a new character that is introduced. Manon is cool guys. She’s badass. The head of the Thirteen and a Blackbeak witch, this woman is deadly and she knows it. Despite her being on the other team I liked her deep sense of loyalty… And there was just something about her actions that seemed just and morally correct. With iron teeth and iron nails, Manon Blackbeak is not a force to be reckoned with. If and when her and Celaena go head-to-head my god that will be one of the most epic battles the world has ever seen.

“One to the gut, so Asterin could feel her own powerlessness; one to the ribs, so she’d consider her actions every time she drew breath; and one to the face, so her broken nose would remind her that the punishment could have been far worse.”

(Also, if Sarah will have me, I pledge myself to be one of her Thirteen.)

“We are the Thirteen, from now until the Darkness claims us.”

Chaol is dealing with the news of what he discovered at the end of Crown of Midnight, and Celaena’s absence is really hitting him hard. Secrets create a rift between the Captain of the King’s Guard and the Crown Prince, who is himself dealing with revelations about himself. Bring in Aedion to heckle these two and you’ve got three steamy guys in one location *fans self*. I absolutely adored Aedion. He is the cousin of the lost heir/queen of Terrasen but now works for the King of Adarlan. He is viewed as a traitor by those loyal to Terrasen. Unearthing his story was absolutely fascinating and WOAH Aedion is amazing. Another brave, selfless soul, he has so much inner-turmoil I can’t imagine how painful it must be for him to get up each day. As for Dorian, I liked how he was trying to accept himself. I really didn’t care for his budding relationship with this other new character though. Chaol. CHAOL CHAOL CHAOL this man ermagherd my love for him runs sure and true <3 He struggles so much through this book. What do you do when the person you love goes against everything you’ve been taught is right? Chaol has much growth to go through but I liked how he’s still as selfless and loving as he’s always been.

“Do you think they hate us or pity us for what we do to each other?”

The romance guys. Be warned, there is barely any. I know some people were really annoyed about this but guys THERE IS A WHOLE WORLD BEING INTRODUCED TO YOU and and so much other stuff going on, like self-discovery, character growth, scary monsters to defeat and Fae to deal with so OMG I was totally fine with romance being something in the background. I will however, assure you that my Chaolena ship still sails strongly and it will continue to sail into the sunset.

BUUUUUT, one name. One man. One person to look out for who will shake up everything you may or may not believe in: Rowan. Hot damn. Stubborn, cold, not one for words, tough, steadfast, sarcastic, snarky, funny, loyal, tortured, beautiful, WARMS MY HEART *sobs*

“Until my last breath, and the world beyond. To whatever end.”

When I said there is a whole world being introduced to you I’m not shitting you. The world-building holy sweet baby Jesus. I swear on Celaena’s true name that this some of the best world-building I have EVER read. We see new lands, new realms and in between, the skies and lands that form these are diverse and phenomenal. Changing terrain, a whole array of skyscapes, landscapes, seascapes, forests, mountains and FAIRYLAND. No seriously, the place where the Fae reside is stunning. The way Maas uses colours to paint a whole palette worth of imagery is so beautiful. Everything just came to life in front of my eyes – you know in the Game of Thrones opening where cities form right in front of your eyes? Yeah this is what happened throughout the whole book.

“… The rivers toppled over the mouth of a mighty waterfall, its basin so huge that the mist floated into the clear day, setting the domed buildings, pearlescent spires, and blue rooftops shining.”

When I first read Throne of Glass I honestly had no idea what I was getting into. But Maas intelligently and quietly paved the way for the plot to grow. She really set the cogs in motion at the end of Throne of Glass, and if you thought Crown of Midnight’s plot was a twist well you’ve got another thing coming for you. Heir of Fire reveals a darkness deeply rooted in this world. One that has been there for a long time, preceding generations and humanity. For there is a force so strong and mind boggling it’s going to knock you off your feet. This is deep guys. Like woah I was reading and I was SCARED. It’s like, ohmygod how much more can these characters take? How much more darkness can this world have and not have collapsed in on itself.

“Because hers was not a story of darkness.”

Don’t even know how to praise Maas’ writing anymore. Too fantastic. Her vocabulary, her word choice. Ermagherd. It’s sophisticated like walking into a chic and modern penthouse. It’s elegant like Elie Saab’s Fall/Winter haute couture collections. It flows like water rushing along a river. It’s as smooth as Haagen Dazs ice cream. I read her writing and I fall into it. I fall into Celaena’s world. And I never want to get back up. Maas also knows how to tease but she knows when enough is enough. There is a certain point in the novel where the plot builds and builds. Think of those breathtaking battle scenes you have in movies and the massive build up to them. Don’t you hate it when the director cuts to something else and leaves you hanging? Maas could have cut off and left us hanging as she went to Chaol/Dorian or Manon’s story. But she goes on. For chapters upon chapters as Celaena’s scene grows to this halting crescendo. Each time I turned the page I was so freaking scared that the next chapter would leave me hanging. But she goes on. Right until the epic scene fades and I was left exhausted and my pillow soaked because I was holding my breath while sobbing the entire time (I know, how am I alive?).

This is THE book of 2014. Maas has managed to out-do herself once again. Heir of Fire is the strongest book in the series yet – her writing continues to grow and her flair shows in the way she weaves the tales of characters old and new. I laughed, I bawled my eyes out and I never wanted this to end. A story of family, love, friendship, loyalty and self-discovery, steeped in Maas’ signature style, the plot will leave you reeling and breathless for more.

“She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.”

Review: King Hall (Forever Evermore #1) by Scarlett Dawn

Firstly, thanks to Harlequin Australia for this NetGalley <3



Date Read: September 8 2013
Release Date: August 1st 2013
Publisher: Escape Publishing (Harlequin Australia)
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Paranormal
My rating: 

Synopsis:

"King Hall — where the Mysticals go to learn their craft, get their degrees, and transition into adulthood. And where four new Rulers will rise and meet their destinies. 

Lily Ruckler is adept at one thing: survival. Born a Mystical hybrid, her mere existence is forbidden, but her nightmare is only about to start. Fluke, happenstance, and a deep personal loss finds Lily deeply entrenched with those who would destroy her simply for existing — The Mystical Kings. Being named future Queen of the Shifters shoves Lily into the spotlight, making her one of the most visible Mysticals in the world. But with risk comes a certain solace — her burgeoning friendships with the other three Prodigies: a wicked Vampire, a wild-child Mage, and a playboy Elemental. Backed by their faith and trust, Lily begins to relax into her new life.

Then chaos erupts as the fragile peace between Commoners and Mysticals is broken, and suddenly Lily realises the greatest threat was never from within, and her fear takes on a new name: the revolution."

---

I’m not sure how I feel about King Hall. Finishing this I knew I definitely wanted to know what happened in the next book but whilst reading I thought this book was shaky at times. You may notice the absence of my usual quotes from this review, well the few quotes I had managed to highlight didn’t really show what I’m saying.

Set in a world where humans are known as Commoners and the supernatural are known as Mysticals, protagonist Lily Ruckler is half-vampire and half-shape shifter. Being a hybrid is absolutely against the law so she has to keep her vampire side hidden. King Hall is the school where Mysticals learn to harness their power and eventually ascend into adulthood by embracing their power.

I liked Lily. She was strong, independent and just trying to make her way through high school whilst concealing the truth about her true being. She’s quite snarky and witty and I liked how she didn’t cower to anyone – not even the Rulers, the four kings who reigned over the Mysticals. Lily never let her boyfriend Dominic be a caveman where she was concerned, even though he was training to be the next king.

From this point on my review is going to be a bit weird, not following my usual structure because it’s really hard to talk about this book in a structured manner.

Firstly, Dominic, Pearl, Jake and Ezra are the four Mysticals of their respective races that are training to be the next set of Rulers. I liked their friendship but sometimes I felt that Dawn was trying too hard to make their friendship work. It was too easy, and at times I was sceptical at how they could be so understanding of each other. There wasn’t enough time for their friendship to really develop to such a trusting point and not have conflict between the characters that would test their trust with each other. They were also too different if that’s possible. I thought Dawn tried too hard to make them all unique and stand apart from another, so much so that I just didn’t believe it.

Secondly, for Lily to be named the future Queen of the Shifters I thought an unnecessary event occurred. This started at the beginning of the book and happened a LOT towards the end. This was where the book stood on the shakiest ground for me. I just felt like it was all so pointless – these characters whom I thought were so central to the story were discarded. Why bother in the first place? There were other ways such turning points could have come about but it just had to be this method to progress the plot. Yes dark times are coming and conflict is arising but don’t just mindlessly bring in a character who seemed important just to kill them off.

It just so happened that all the Rulers seem so perfect for each other – and I knew what Dawn was doing, she was trying to set the scene so they could end up together or something. This ties in with my previous two points about the relationships that formed too quickly and the unnecessary events. Too coincidental, it just happened to end up this way or something. No darnit NO.

Dawn definitely tried to build her world to show the Mysticals, their laws and political structures. I got a good glimpse into their various powers and the differences in the races through the trainee Rulers, however I felt that her writing definitely faltered. At times she showed but I also got a whole lot of tell in pretty slabs or thought monologues. Her style was sophisticated but I think it wasn’t expressed properly to really show me what I wanted.

I am definitely confused by this book. It was enjoyable though with its various fight scenes but I think it’s a real hit or miss for people.

Review: All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry

Firstly, thanks to HarperCollins Australia for this review copy <3



Date Read: September 1 - 6 2013
Release Date: October 1st 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Source: ARC via publisher
Genre: Contemporary
My rating: 

Synopsis:

"Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years later, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by her friends and family.

Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to her childhood friend, Lucas. He is the boy who has owned her heart for as long as she can remember - even if he doesn′t know it.

But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose - to continue living in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever.

Told in a voice that is achingly raw and intimate, this remarkably original novel will haunt and stay with you. It will fill you with Judith′s passion and longing, and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last one."

---

“No one calls me by my name.”

What a unique book. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it. This book just sort of popped up for me, and I was just speechless after finishing.

One of two girls that went missing four years ago, Judith is the only one that returns two years later. She’s not the same though; with her tongue cut out and her mother and the townsfolk believing her maidenhood gone, she is ignored and undesired. With nobody to talk to, she soundlessly bares her soul to the childhood crush.

“I am shocking. What was done to me was shocking. I am outside the boundaries forever, no longer decent.”

I’ll admit I was a bit freaked out at how Judith seemed like she was almost stalking Lucas. Everything she does, she refers to him; Judith just didn’t talk to him in her mind, but whilst talking to him she knew exactly what he was doing, where he was and it all seemed a little stalkerish. But what’s one to do when nobody notices you and other than menial chores, you’re essentially left to your own devices? Judith frustrated me so many times because she could tried to tell people what happened. Instead she lets them believe what they want, and her silence makes them believe the worst. I understood that she was afraid but reading her and being in her head while she did nothing for the majority of the book killed me. Her character does grow though, and as she learns to face her fear, I could see her gaining confidence and showing strength.

“I hung the posies you left me upside down in the barn rafters to dry, to preserve them forever and gaze upon them always.”

Told in second person, in an almost diary form, the book is split into four parts divided by seasons. The first half is rather vague as Judith slowly reveals the events of what happened four years ago, and piece by piece, the puzzle comes together. I was so intrigued as how two girls managed to disappear and the motive behind Judith getting her tongue cut out. As Judith progresses, trying to be recognised, most of the townsfolk are still unforgiving and ignorant, even in light of their town being threatened. Upon realising that she needs to face her past because there’s a possibility that it could save her town and her beloved Lucas, she’s challenged with the possibility that the town will never trust her again as she delves back to four years ago.

“Do I intend to keep my promise?”

The plot thickens as Judith’s fragmented snippets coalesce with the threatened town and her ability to help them, combined with the mystery of her disappearance and that of her friend four years ago. Somehow, they’re all related. One leads to another, one connects to another and the revelation was nothing like I expected.

“Like the clanging of the bell, the truth crashes in upon me.”

Review: On the Fence by Kasie West

Firstly, thanks to HarperCollins Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: January 10 - 11 2014
Release Date: July 1st 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Source: ARC via publisher
Genre: Contemporary
My rating: 

Synopsis:

"She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect."

---

“Why did the moon make me want to spill all my secrets to Braden?”

BAM Kasie West has done it again. She is officially one of my favourite authors and I will read and buy anything by her. On the Fence was so good I finished it in 1 day. What I love about West’s contemporaries (The Distance Between Us and now On the Fence) is that while they’re great summery/fun reads, the protagonist also deals with serious issues and West handles these so well.

Our girl Charlie has grown up in an all-male household – her father raised her and her three brothers so to say she’s a bit of a tomboy is an understatement. It was quick shocking how out of touch she was not only with “being a girl” but with emotions and sensitive topics too. At one point in the beginning, they’re playing football and one of Charlie’s school friends gets a call about his grandmother dying; while everybody is giving him their condolences, Charlie just asks if they want to continue the game. But as Charlie develops relationships with new people as a result of her new job, she grows as a person. I love the way West has made this so natural and gradual – I could see Charlie have her eyes opened to another world, to have boys notice her and it was very relatable.

“I don’t know how to get over it.”

“You can only get through it.”

All the secondary characters have something to offer Charlie in terms of lessons. I liked how Amber is so accepting of Charlie and goes along with Charlie’s cluelessness. I loved the way Linda and Skye introduce Charlie to a life outside of sports and how life can be a little eccentric. Then there’s Evan who is the first guy in Charlie’s life who doesn’t see her as a tomboy, but instead as a pretty girl and this opens a whole new world for her. And finally we have Braden, the one who’s there for Charlie to talk to every night by the fence, lost in their own little world. All these great characters along with Charlie’s dad and brothers, are unique in their own way such that I wouldn’t mind if they had their own books – especially Charlie’s brothers!

“She brought something into my life that I’d never had before… I needed someone to understand me. To help me understand myself.”

West always writes such sweet romances with the cutest guys. In paranormal/fantasy/speculative fiction you have guys that are swoony and they say and do things that in a contemporary novel would be just over the top. And this has happened in quite a few contemporaries I’ve read. But Braden (and Evan) are both so real. They could be any of my (nicer) guy friends who take the time to listen to what a girl has to say. They’re by no means perfect and yet they have endearing qualities.

The romance is so cute eeeeep. There may or may not be a love triangle but it’s sweet and adorable and watching Charlie trying to unjumble all her feelings just makes me cheer for her. The romance is perfectly paced, and it progresses slowly, hesitantly and sdlkfjsldfjsdsdf I was like just WHY YOU SO CUTE CAN YOU JUST PLEASE GET TOGETHER ALL OF YOU. Yassss for reals.

“He smiled and his gaze went from my eyes, to my mouth then up to my hair.”

As Charlie and Braden’s late night talks continue, she continues to be plagued by nightmares which have a recurring theme. I loved the way this was incorporated into the plot of the book and how it relates to her inner-demons and a secret she has yet to uncover.

An absolutely refreshing read! With a relatable MC, swoony romance, many lessons to be learnt, an intriguing plot that runs deeper than you think, and all topped off with West’s fluent prose, On the Fence is a must have addition to your contemporary pile

“I don’t want this to be in our alternate reality. I want this to be in our real one.”

DNF Review: Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon

Firstly, thanks to Bloomsbury Australia for this ARC <3

Date Read: May 17 - 23 2014
Release Date: June 5th 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury Australia
Source: ARC via publisher
Genre: Steampunk
My rating:  (DNF at page 225)

Synopsis:

"Catherine Hunter is the daughter of a senior government official on the island of Anglya. She’s one of the privileged – she has luxurious clothes, plenty to eat, and is protected from the Collections which have ravaged families throughout the land. But Catherine longs to escape the confines of her life, before her dad can marry her off to a government brat and trap her forever.
So Catherine becomes Cat, pretends to be a kid escaping the Collections, and stows away on the skyship Stormdancer. As they leave Anglya behind and brave the storms that fill the skies around the islands of Tellus, Cat’s world becomes more turbulent than she could ever have imagined, and dangerous secrets unravel her old life once and for all . . ."

---

I would like to point out that I really admire Lucy Saxon for writing a book at such a young age. She’s got a lot of potential and talent. To get a book published at only 19 is a wonderful achievement and I commend her on that.

When I received Take Back the Skies at the beginning of March I actually wasn’t planning on reading it. However, as the release day draws closer the hype kept building and I thought, well maybe I should check it out. In a way I’m glad I did because I can see Saxon’s potential and how, with work, this could really get better with a couple more books.

The synopsis of this book implies that the protagonist Catherine escapes her stifling and privileged life by stowing away on an airship and having a wonderful adventure on board it. This was not the case. I was imagining something along the lines of Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, or Final Fantasy X/Final Fantasy X-2/Final Fantasy XII and Howl’s Moving Castle. In fact, there is only one short journey on the airship and that’s it. The majority of the book is dealing with a government conspiracy and occurs on land.

Catherine Hunter is born into a privileged life as she’s the daughter of a government official. However, she despises the opulence she’s given and longs to get away. At only 14 I found this extremely implausible as her sympathising with the poor was just going a bit too far. I understood that her sneaking out at night to admire the airships allowed her to see the poverty of those around her but she wasn’t ever grateful for what was given to her. I really didn’t understand her hate towards her father – it wasn’t the familial hate we see in abusive parents where the child still feels an obligation to the parent. No, this was outright hate like she was a stranger without familial ties. I could understand that if she didn’t live with her father and distance made the relationship detached but she actually lived with him! And other than being overly strict, I couldn’t see what Nathaniel Hunter ever really did to her to warrant such loathing. Cat’s spirit is definitely admirable but her ambitious nature was not relatable at all. At 14 she thinks that she can change the world – that it’s easy. We all know this is not true but Saxon writes it as if it is so.

“How she wished to fly a skyship: the freedom, the boundless space, with no expectations from anyone but herself and her crew.”

The secondary characters were either all too nice or all too horrible in nature. There was this distinct black and white which I thought made the book even more naïve. I like books that have lots of grey space because it makes me question what’s right and wrong – that a lot of the time there is no right or wrong because that is humanity. Take Back the Skies was just too easy – these are the good guys and these are the bad guys. The crew on the airship were meant to have distinct personalities and I could see Saxon try to bring that through but why were they all so bloody nice? And the bad guys were oh so evil. Basically everyone was divided into these two groups and because of that I found absolutely no depth to anyone.

Of course there had to be a love interest and the romance could have been likable. Fox was the only ‘good’ guy that didn’t seem like he was under Cat’s spell. Or so we think. He was just hot and cold all the time without reasoning – I’m sure it was meant to show he was affected by Cat but I just couldn’t understand his vehemence towards her sometimes. He would get so worked about the littlest things or nothing at all. And then our little Cat, who seems so strong gets all flustered when he’s around. I couldn’t tell if it was insta-attraction for her or insta-love but it was borderline insta-love because by the time I stopped reading at page 225, they’d only known each other ONE WEEK. At four days of their knowing each other Cat herself had said something along the lines of “don’t you know me at all by now?” and how she couldn’t believe Fox didn’t trust her. Four days kid. YOU’VE KNOWN HIM FOUR DAYS. Basically everybody I’ve known my whole life I don’t trust. Trust is a hard thing to come by. So no. This just did not work.

“I don’t know you!”

“Believe what you’ve learned since you met me… Just trust me.”

I was expecting fantastic world-building because this is technically a steampunk. Sadly this failed in every respect. I wanted fantastic descriptions of the world as they flew to Siberene – I was expecting beautiful landscapes with intricate, picturesque descriptions of the palette of the islands and the sea. All I got was that the sky is apparently pretty and that there were large mountains. No showing, just telling. I wanted to hear more about these freaky storm barriers that the ship had to fly through. I was told this and then it was completely skipped over – I was waiting for the airship to be thrown about, for fierce winds and rain pelting the potholes. Nope. There is actually barely any flying in this at all which really disappointed me. Cat’s stowing away on the Stormdancer is just a trip to Siberene and back to Anglya which spans only a few chapters.

“Clouds drifted lazily above them, the endless blue-grey sea churned far below them…”

The plot was so darn convenient. Cat says let’s save the world and bring the revolution. Whole crew is suddenly on board with a 14 year-old’s plan. What about the consequences of this – who will rule the country? Basically, everything just resolves itself and I hated the convenience of everything. Cat gets into trouble, Fox saves the day. Cat sneaks around, doesn’t seem to ever get caught. Miraculously find out the plot twist by killing two birds with one stone and everything is just THERE all in one place. The writing itself was of the fantasy style – seemingly sophisticated and less colloquial but somehow it was so cliché it read like a children’s book.

“Cat’s right; we’ve been letting it lie for far too long now. The government seems to be escalating their plans, and who knows what their next step is.”

I just couldn’t deal with this book. The characters lacked depth, there was no world building, the plot was too convenient and the writing plain cringe-worthy. I have heard some people loved this so I guess it’s one of those hit or miss things. Who knows, maybe you’ll enjoy it more than I did.

Review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Firstly, thanks to Macmillan Children's for this review copy <3

Date Read: June 21 - August 12 2013
Release Date: September 17th 2013
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Macmillan)
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Contemporary
My rating: 

Synopsis:

"Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together."

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“Sometimes, when you are worn down, day after day, relentlessly, with no reprieve for years piled on years, sometimes you lose everything but the ability to cry.”

When I first started reading TSWSYL I was genuinely worried about how it would affect me. The synopsis said it was told from a funny voice, I’m not sure I completely agree with this. The beginning was so bleak I was scared about how the story would progress.

Elise Dembowski has been bullied for as long as she can remember. She doesn’t have a single friend and when she tries to talk to people they shy away from her. In her last attempt to be accepted, she spends the summer before school starts trying to reinvent herself – perusing blogs and fashion magazines she has a complete makeover, using what little pocket money she has to change her clothing. And yet still the “popular” girls at school find faults and continue bullying her. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her character; she likes things most other people would if only they talked to her. I wouldn’t even call her socially awkward because she can communicate as we see later on. She’s a nice person, she has her flaws, but so does everybody else. She is just one of those unlucky people that the world, for some unknown reason, finds it funny to make fun of. Despite never having been in such a bad position as Elise, her voice and her situation were extremely relatable.

“You think it's so easy to change yourself. You think it's so easy, but it's not.”

On the brink of giving up, and my God this part was so depressing, Elise is wandering around one night when she stumbles upon a warehouse that’s a club playing oldies music. Upon entering she immediately befriends Vicky. Vicky was such an amazing secondary character, one of the nicest and most non-judgemental people I’ve ever read. She’s honest and realistic yet somehow manages to be positive and exudes such a great energy one cannot help but smile at her presence. Considerate and caring, Vicky was just the friend Elise needed. People like Vicky are what restore my faith in humanity.

Through Elise’s interactions with the various people in the club – Vicky, Char the DJ, Pippa and even the bouncer, Elise learns what it means to have friends and all the ups and downs that come with it. For once she is with like-minded people, she is not alone and she gets to freely express herself through her love for music. Vicky shows her what it’s like to be cared for, to have that selfless friend who accepts and doesn’t judge no matter what; Pippa shows her that in the face of friendship, conflicts can happen – that friendship isn’t always happy rainbows, but that some friends are worth keeping and some aren’t. Char teaches her how to DJ and through this, Elise learns what it really means to do something you love, to be good at something and be passionate about it.

“Don't you ever want to have just one thing that no one else knows about, so no one can ruin it for you?”

I loved the way Elise grew into herself, the way she applied herself with a frenzied obsession – I could really relate because that’s sometimes I how approach new things I love. Sales does character growth spectacularly. The changes from bleak to hopeful were noticeable and yet paced perfectly.

I’m a complete sucker for books that incorporate music. Pretty much all the books I’ve read that have used music to help tell the story have gotten 4 or 5 stars from me. Sales joins this list. I don’t even listen to any of this kind of music and yet I was there on the dance floor with Vicky, moving with the surging bodies as they belted out the lyrics to Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark; I was DJing with Elise as she merged tracks and watched people cheer as I Wanna Dance With Somebody came on.

“I believe that a person's taste in music tells you a lot about them. In some cases, it tells you everything you need to know.”

Dealing with the serious issue of bullying and the dire consequences that can arise, including loneliness/depression and suicide, Sales writes a moving story of identity, relationships and hope by connecting people through music. This story really touched me and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

“Sometimes you just have those days where everything goes wrong. But sometimes, and totally unexpectedly, something can go right.”

Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Firstly, thanks to Random House Children's for this review copy <3

Date Read: February 21 - 24 2014
Release Date: May 13th 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press (Random House Children's)
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Contemporary/Mystery
My rating: 

Synopsis:

"A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE."

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“Life feels beautiful that day. The four of us Liars, we have always been. We always will be.”

Ahhhhh this book. Where do I even start? HOW do I start? This book blew me away utterly and completely. It knocked me off my feet and mind fucked me to the max. This was hands down one of the most original books I’ve ever read in my entire life.

The synopsis doesn’t say much about the book. It was this vagueness that actually pulled me in. It was everything unsaid that made me want to find out what was between the lines. And I’m so glad I did.

The story is told from the point of view of Cadence Sinclair, the only daughter of one of the three Sinclair sisters. They are part of an extremely wealthy family who own an island. The setting itself had an almost historic quality to it. The island is so isolated from the rest of civilisation, it’s a world of its own. Cadence, her two cousins and their friend Gat form a strong friendship over the course of many summers and are dubbed the Liars. This is their story.

“This island is ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.”

The setting and writing style together made me initially think this was a historic novel because it was so otherworldy but it’s actually set in the modern day. Absolutely beautiful writing, Lockhart’s style is enchanting and poetic. Cadence's thoughts are pondering and thought provoking, and at times haunting. I loved this style because as I said, very thought provoking and left room for one’s own interpretations for what she could possibly mean.

This book builds and builds and despite only following these four teenagers through their summers, you can’t help but get sucked in to their life on the island. There is friendship, love, adventure and suspense. The plot was amazing, everything just fell into place and that ending? Woah. Shocking. Stunning. Emotional. I’ll give you only that, don’t ask me anymore because I’ll have to lie.

“For a moment, the two of us were alone on the planet, with all the vastness of the sky and the future and the past spreading out around us.”

Possibly the shortest review I’ve ever written since I officially started book blogging, I hope you’re intrigued. I hope I’ve piqued your interest enough to want to pick up this book. I implore you to pick up this book, to meet the Liars, embark on this mystery and find the truth. And when you do, come back because I would love to hear your thoughts.

“But there must be more to know. There will be more.”