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Archive for the ‘reviews’ Category

Blood Queen by Rhiannon Hart

Posted in reviews, tagged , , , , , , , on January 31, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Blood Queen (Lharmell, #3)Blood Queen by Rhiannon Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An awesome ending to an awesome series! It has been so long since I read book two, I was a little bit worried that I wouldn’t remember what was going on but it didn’t take long for everything to come rushing back. Zeraphina is a great character, she is like a typical 17/18 year old – bratty, rude, no patience….. but she is also brave and proud and will do anything to protect her family and friends. I loved the twist in the middle of the book, which I did not see coming at all, and the story flowed so well right through to the ending. Zeraphina’s sister, Lilith played a substantial supporting role in the last half of the book along with her husband Amis, but the standout supporting role was Rodden who works in mysterious ways and easily got under my skin.
This is a series that I love and now that I have finished it I feel a bit lost – which is always a good sign!

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Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

Posted in reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 31, 2016| 2 Comments »

Into the Dim (Into the Dim, #1)Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was definitely in the mood for this book! As soon as I started reading it I was drawn into the world and I can still visualise the Scottish landscape with Hope riding her horse and then running into Bran who, from the moment he appeared, I knew was going to play a large role in the story. The characters were all so believable and so was the story, I can totally believe that people can time travel like they do in the story.
I don’t know if the history side of things was accurate but this did not affect how much I enjoyed the story. There was adventure and intrigue, battles with swords and castles with royalty and of course, a lovely amount of swoon aka Bran with his sleepy eyes and lazy smile.
The ending leaves it wide open for book two and I will have no hesitation in picking it up and being transported back into the time-travelling, Tesla coils, Scottish filled world.
Thanks to HMH via Netgalley for this ARC.

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Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Posted in reviews, tagged , , , , , , , on December 28, 2015| 3 Comments »

Because You'll Never Meet MeBecause You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love books that are written as letters, I love books about friendship, I love books that are a bit quirky and lead me into the unknown, and this book ticked all of those boxes.
When I read the blurb I couldn’t even imagine a story with one boy who is allergic to electricity, who is pen pals with another boy who not only has a pacemaker but also has no eyes, but the story was very easy to read and the characters were real and I believed every thing that happened. Watching their friendship grow through their letters was heartwarming and at times a little heart breaking. There was a small mystery that, when partly solved at the end was satisfying but I didn’t get a ‘OMG, WTF’ feeling. I finished the book feeling hopeful and even happy, keen to follow both boys to see what they get up to next.
Not at all what I was expecting when I started, but by the end, I firmly believe that anyone can be a superhero!

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This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

Posted in reviews, tagged , , , on December 25, 2015| Leave a Comment »

This Raging LightThis Raging Light by Estelle Laure
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a good read, although it wasn’t quite as heart-capturing as I was hoping it would be. There was a lot going on throughout the story and I felt that I didn’t quite get enough from some parts of the story. I connected with the main character Lucille, and could feel the love between her and her younger sister Wren, after their father cut himself off from the family and then their mother disappeared. I also enjoyed the relationships Lucille had with her best friend and her best friends brother – who she ended up realising she was in love with. While I felt that the story was a bit choppy, I can also understand that this fits in with the live that Lucille was living.
The ending came very quickly and I did wonder if the last few pages of my book were missing.
Overall, a good read with characters that were authentic and likeable.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Posted in reviews, tagged , , , , , , , on December 20, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Salt to the SeaSalt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ruta Sepetys has a particular writing style that I thoroughly enjoy. Salt to the Sea took me on a unknown journey through history without being bogged down with lots of small details. If you like a fiction book based on an historical event then this is for you. The four characters which switched between being the storyteller were all different and with individual goals, and I found myself just wishing and hoping for a happy ending. I did cry and by the end was feeling sad, melancholic and even a bit hopeless – the fact that this story was based on a true event was just a reminder of what our world can be like. The tiny glimmer of hope at the very end was also enough to make me cry again, not all was lost.

Copy received via NetGalley.

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Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Posted in reviews, tagged , , , , , , , on July 4, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Everything, EverythingEverything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this in two sittings because it was very easy to read, and a bit hard to put down. I wasn’t too sure about the story being about a girl who has a disease which basically means she is allergic to everything and can’t leave her house – new neighbours moving in are always fun but really, what could happen – if she can’t leave her house.
But so much happened. So much.
Olly was a great character who happened to be funny, smart and a parkour expert, who also struggled with living in an abusive household.
I found Maddy to be what I would expect for an 18 year old girl who has not allowed to leave her house because she could, you know, die. She was sweet and funny and loved books (Her spoiler alerts for her book reviews throughout were great!)
I love the book, ‘The Little Prince’ and was quite taken with Maddy’s love of it, and the references to it throughout the story such as, ‘Do you remember when we read The Little Prince together for the first time? I was so upset that he died in the end. I didn’t understand how he could choose death just so he could get back to his rose. I think I understand it now. He wasn’t choosing to die. his rose was his whole life. Without her, he wasn’t really alive.’
So as the story went on I was preparing myself to have my heart broken and to shed a whole lot of tears and then the end came so suddenly and it kinda knocked me sideways.
It is not the kind of book that I will read over and over, but I am very glad that I did read it and I will be getting myself a copy when it is published – my review copy didn’t have all of the illustrations, lists, charts etc.

Copy provided by NetGalley.

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I’ll Give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Posted in reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »

I'll Give You the SunI’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At this moment, I don’t really have the words to describe this book, or actually, the way that this book made me feel.
I am so in love with the writing, to the point of feeling like I should never write another word because it will be a waste of words, but then I also I am so in love with the writing, to the point that I want to lock myself away and scribble as many words as I can.

The writing, the story, the characters…. they blew my heart to smithereens, and then gently placed me back together, before once again breaking my heart. The love that was in this book was so strong. Brothers and Sisters, Parents and Children, Friends, Lovers. So many types of love that were all powerful yet vulnerable.

I loved reading the alternating chapters of Noah and Jude equally and after the story, after the broken pieces and the false truths, the ending was perfect. Some words to sum up, ‘You can’t help who you love, can you?’ pg. 291

Extra special moments were Noah’s ‘art titles’ and Jude’s wisdoms from Grandma Sweetwine’s bible

Noah:
‘Self Portrait: Last sighting of Boy and Balloon blowing West Over Pacific’
‘Portrait, Self-Portrait: The Boy who watched the Boy Hypnotise the World’
‘Portrait: Mom Sleepwalking into Another Life’

Jude:
Tears of mourning should be collected and then ingested to heal the soul.
Nothing curdles love in the heart like lemon on the tongue.
To reverse destiny, stand in a field with a knife pointed in the direction of the wind.

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Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Posted in reviews, tagged , , , , , on June 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Every Last WordEvery Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a book that I read quite quickly and was written in the style that connected with me straight away. I really liked the main character and lived the story through her eyes, which I am glad I did because when things started to become clearer at the end of the story, I was as surprised as Samantha was. I fell in love with Poet’s corner and what happened in this room was great – I wanted to go there myself.
I don’t have any in depth experience with OCD but I found this story was a thoughtful and honest representation of living a life with OCD. There was definitely some intense stuff to work through but also enough positive situations and moments to balance it out.

Review based on free digital copy from NetGalley with thanks to Disney Book Group.

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All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Posted in reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 11, 2015| Leave a Comment »

All the Bright PlacesAll the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So I didn’t really read the blurb of this one before i started and so wasn’t sure exactly what it was about. I started it and was enjoying it – the characters, the dialogue, the family interactions and the school setting. I liked Violet (not so much at first but she soon grew on me) and I really liked Finch and I totally fell for the way their relationship developed – it gave me all the good feelings. And then all of a sudden I realised I loved these two characters and their relationship and I was invested in them, I felt like I was inside the story, feeling what they were feeling…. and I can’t even say anything more at the moment, except I wish I had been of been concentrating more on Finch while reading the book, but instead I was going on this ride with Violet and so everything that happened to her, it felt like it was happening to me.
I love it when a book can make me feel so much and I hate it when a book can make me feel so much.

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Every Move by Ellie Marney

Posted in reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 8, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Every Move (Every, #3)Every Move by Ellie Marney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of those books… one of those books that I wanted to read as quickly as possible so I could get to the end and find out all of the stuff….. but also one of those books that I wanted to read as slowly as possible so I didn’t have to say goodbye to Rachel and James. Since finishing the book 20 minutes ago, I have realised that I am now calling them Rachel and James instead of Watts and Mycroft as I have done in the past and this is because both of the characters both developed into so much more in this third book. I think this was a fantastic conclusion to the series; it started out very heavy and I felt my heart break on more than one occasion. Rachel and James were both very twisted up and not in good places as they were dealing with the aftermath of their trip to London. I felt like they were slipping apart and then the introduction of Mike’s (best brother ever!) friend, Harris, did not make me feel any better. I didn’t like him and thought he was going to push James and Rachel further away from each other.
But then, along with some extreme events, James and Rachel were ok. They are an incredible team and soon had developed a plan to stop the bad guy. And this is where I have to say that Harris turned into a character that I would definitely want on my team! He was great and exactly what he needed to be in the story……surely there is more room for another book in the series that has more of Harris!
As with the first two books, the mystery and intrigue were in full force and there was more than one time that I was holding my breath in anticipation or else my throat was catching with the, ‘omg – did that really happen?’
The ending of the book came far to quickly but it was the perfect ending.
This series is firmly at the top of my ‘best books/series ever’ list and Rachel and James are both part of my ‘favourite characters ever’ list.

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