Book Review: The Sun Is Also A Star; Nicola Yoon.

My high rating for this book may come as a surprise to those who know about my feelings on romance YA, but despite some obvious tropes, this felt like a modern and vibrant read and hooked me!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: The Sun Is Also A Star
AUTHOR: Nicola Yoon
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Corgi Children's
PAGES: 348
GENRE: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

What I Liked:

• This book absolutely buzzed with energy! I think my favourite thing about it was the sense of fast-paced, warm feeling that Yoon injected into her writing. It made me feel as if the plot was constantly moving and even though it covered a day, it never got boring. For a YA romance, this felt pretty unique in the way that it was structured and I enjoyed seeing Yoon flit through so many other POVs and fact pages alongside the two main characters. Every chapter was short, but interesting.
• Every character was different. Natasha and Daniel were wonderful MCs to focus on, with plenty of personality and they really felt like individuals. Both belonged to ethnic minorities (Natasha - an illegal Jamaican immigrant and Daniel from a Korean family being forced to live the life his parents have dreamed of). I liked the focus on the racism that can occur between minority groups too, as this is rarely covered in fiction and is a complex topic. 

What I Disliked:

• Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book. But the insta-love between Natasha and Daniel? Blegh. While Yoon does things in a really interesting way, there's no denying that this book falls into one of the most exhausting tropes of all time. And it slightly irked me, I'll admit. People like me want romances to be built, and slow-to-burn. Also, the nature of their relationship meant there were some pretty nauseating quotes. Teenagers don't really talk in the way that Yoon had them talking, no matter how poetic they are, or how much they love science!

Overall Conclusion:

This book gripped me from beginning to end, which is actually pretty impressive considering my usual disdain for YA romance novels. Short, fast-paced chapters that interrupted the main POVs with other characters insights and facts on history were really cool to read, quotable, and gave me the sense that I'd learnt something. I liked the bigger issues that this book covered. However, Natasha and Daniel weren't great examples of teenagers because they spoke in a way that made them more akin to adults that had been studying philosophy and the 'bigger picture' for years. The insta-love trope was way too heavy in this book too. Yet somehow, this was still a wonderful read that I'd recommend to everyone!

Book Review: The Final Empire; Brandon Sanderson.

Finally! My first ever Brandon Sanderson book! It's been a long time coming, and I will be thanking the friend who bought this for me a million times over (as well as apologising profusely for taking so many years to actually read it) because it was so good!

SOURCE: Present
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: The Final Empire
AUTHOR: Brandon Sanderson
SERIES: Mistborn (#1)
PUBLISHER: Orion Publishing Co
PAGES: 647
GENRE: Epic Fantasy, Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Dystopian?

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. 

The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with colour once more?



What I Liked:

• The characters were probably my favourite thing about this book, because Sanderson writes them really well. I really wasn't expecting most of the POV to be from a group of con-artists/thieves but I fell in love with their personalities instantly. Kell was a great perspective to read from because even though it's his thoughts, you still aren't sure what he's thinking. Vin was my favourite however as, like the reader, she is discovering everything at the same rate. She was badass and had trust issues, but everything was heartfelt and she was so clever. Other members of the crew I liked too: Breeze, Ham, Sazed and Dockson all captured my hearts. Even Marsh! The interactions between them all were both hilarious and natural too, so great job there!
• I don't normally advocate too much romance in a book as often it takes away from the main plot and doesn't really appeal to me. But here, I 100% shipped the growing attraction between Elend and Vin. I wanted them to find happiness! I never really expected to encounter something like that, especially between an eccentric, philosophical fop and a street-urchin pretending to be nobility. Their interactions were really well laid-out. Well done to Mr. Sanderson for making me believe in the power of love again!
• The lore in this book was wonderful. Truly wonderful. Sanderson is clearly a master at his craft, especially when it comes to building a good world! He did it with such ease, but it felt very fresh and original and surprised me in a lot of ways. It struck the perfect balance of being exciting and new, yet comfortingly familiar. I fell in love with this book from page one because of the way this book was written and the amount of work that had clearly gone into envisaging it.

What I Disliked:

• Coming up with a major dislike for this book was basically impossible. I loved it all! The length was certainly not something I'm used to, as usually I read books under half it's size. That being said, it gave me the right amount of depth without info-dumping and I felt that 650ish pages was really enough considering the amount that happens. 

Overall Conclusion:

This book had it all. A well-written and fresh story, beautiful world-building, interesting and unique characters and a whole dose of charm. It was funny and emotionally engaging, and I don't think I've raved about a book like this in a long time. This is how epic Fantasy should be done! Yes, it's long and some people might not enjoy dedicating so much time to it, but if you're an avid fan of fantasy mixed with a slight sci-fi/dystopian feel then look no further because Sanderson has it covered. 

Book Review: Good Bones; Margaret Atwood.

This is my first ever Margaret Atwood read. Can you believe it? I've heard so much about this lady, especially 'The Handmaid's Tale' which is due to become a television series, and it made me want to get into some of her work. This collection of short stories and poetry felt like the perfect place to start!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Good Bones
AUTHOR: Margaret Atwood
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Virago
PAGES: 160
GENRE: Short Stories, Adult, Poetry, Literary Fiction

RATING: 4/5 Stars

Blurb:
These wise and witty writings home in on Shakespeare, tree stumps, ecological disasters, bodies (male and female), and theology, amongst other matters. 

We hear Gertrude's version of what really happened in Hamlet; an ugly sister and a wicked stepmother put in a good word for themselves, and a reincarnated bat explains how Bram Stoker got Dracula hopelessly wrong. 

Good Bones is pure distilled Atwood - deliciously strong and bittersweet.

What I Liked:

• Atwood's writing style really lived up to my expectations, and after hearing such great things, they were high. This is made even better when I read reviews telling me that this is not even her best collection of stories! I loved her use of language and the symbolism/deeper meaning behind her words. It was powerful stuff! She took so many well known characters, stories and archetypes and completely turned them on their heads (demonstrated in stories such as 'The Little Red Hen Tells All', 'Gertrude Talks Back', 'Unpopular Gals' and 'There Was Once'), which we all know is something I really enjoy reading! Bravo!
• So many stories were included, and they each covered very different themes that were designed to make the reader try to understand what, in essence, makes us human and the bare 'bones' of society. Personal favourites were of course focused on revisiting classic stories and changing them of course, but I liked the more analytical stories too. Especially those that seemed to try to understand our race from a creatively 'alien' perspective: 'Cold-Blooded', 'Alien Territory' and 'Homelanding' were such examples. Some of the stories had a bit of a Dystopian feel too, which I enjoyed.

What I Disliked:

• The danger in any short story collection is there will almost always be a few stories that might not be so appealing or likeable. This 'rule' does not exclude Atwood's collection, sadly. I honestly felt that there would be a story here for pretty much everyone, considering the variation but it also meant that stories such as 'An Angel', 'In Love With Raymond Chandler' and 'Bad News' were entirely skippable in my honest opinion and I skimmed them.

Overall Conclusion:

This was pretty much what I wanted it to be: a good introduction to Atwood's style of writing, a great collection that reimagined some classic tales and stereotypes, and a reflective look on our society filled with symbolism and deep thoughts. I loved it! There were a few stories that didn't tickle my fancy, it's true but I really didn't hold that against this collection because there was too much good, and the 'bad' wasn't really even that bad. Just uninteresting. All in all, Atwood is well and truly on my 'must read more' list!

Book Review: One Of Us Is Lying; Karen M. McManus

On the surface this doesn't necessarily seem like my type of book - not only is it a teen high school drama (not famed for being my favourite genre) it's also marketed around fans of 'Pretty Little Liars' which is a show I didn't find myself overly bothered about watching. But this book, surpassed all of my expectations, and I do love a good murder mystery!

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: One Of Us Is Lying
AUTHOR: Karen M. McManus
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Penguin
PAGES: 358
GENRE: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Mystery

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
On Thursday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. 

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. 

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. 

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app. 

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investi­gators, his death wasn't an accident. On Thursday, he died. But on Friday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they just the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

What I Liked:

• There were so many awesome things about this book that I barely know where to begin. I suppose I'll start with my favourite thing about the book - the characters. There were 4 POVs in this story, all of which were suspects to the murder and each had their own unique personality, secrets and interests. It was good to learn more about them as the story progressed. I also enjoyed watching them interact with each other, their relationships and conversation definitely felt very genuine.
• The plot itself moved perfectly. Plenty of twists and turns along the way, some a little predictable but a lot of them fun enough to keep me guessing. This continued until the very end and I had only guessed a little bit of how the finale would play out. But I loved the pacing and plot direction, and McManus didn't let me become bored for one second. 

What I Disliked:

• I'll be honest, nothing really struck me as a dislike about this book. It was an easy, fun read that had me hooked from beginning to end. I perhaps wish that a little more focus had been given to what happened to them all after the investigation, but at the same time I feel like McManus rounded off their stories really nicely. So really, I think it's more wishful thinking on my part to be honest.

Overall Conclusion:

All in all, this was a great book! A well built setting, a school that reacted exactly how I imagined in such a situation, a great murder mystery, and fantastic character building. This was everything I wanted in a read and it's actually made me feel that I might enjoy more books like this, especially if they involve something a bit juicier than the usual high school gossip!

Book Review: A Darker Shade Of Magic; V.E. Schwab.

As someone who tends to put books off for a long time (I am not fast enough to get through hundreds a month) this was one series that I really wanted to get to sooner rather than later, and finally I achieved it! I've seen many great reviews on this book and now I'm going to be adding another glowing one to the collection!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: A Darker Shade Of Magic
AUTHOR: V.E. Schwab
SERIES: Shades Of Magic (#1)
PUBLISHER: Tor Books
PAGES: 400
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Kell is one of the last travellers--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city. 

There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad King--George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered--and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London--a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red traveller, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. 

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

What I Liked:

• The best part of the book was definitely the world-building, and the concept behind it. It was Fantasy but revolved around a simple idea. Four different Londons: Ours (historical and 'grey'), Red London (filled with magic and riches), White London (reduced to poverty and desperate to conquer) and Black London, destroyed forever. I just adored how such a simple idea could be so well planned and filled with political context, lore and historical richness. Some Fantasy authors try too hard and over-complicate or under-think things. It was nice to see the perfect balance!
• I really loved the characters too. Kell and Lila were both fantastic MCs with a lot of loveable personality and I rooted for them both all the way through. This book had some great villains too. In fact, I can't think of a single character I didn't like. Schwab clearly has a real knack for character development and motivation and I appreciate that, especially in Fantasy because characters so often fall into archetypes.

What I Disliked:

• The only thing that I was a little disappointed in was how the last 10% played out. The book seemed to be pointing towards adventures in Grey London and Red London before a cliffhanger that would lead to White London for book two! But as it turned out, I was wrong and it made those final chapters feel a little on the rushed side. I would have liked for Lila and Kell to spend more time in White London!

Overall Conclusion:

This book was fantastic, and definitely my favourite fantasy book I've read for a while! I've been having great fun with YA contemporaries so it was nice to get back into a genre I adore. Schwab writes really well and I loved her world-building, characterisation and plot! It was a bit of a shame that the last few chapters rushed so hurriedly through the 'final showdown' but I'm still excited about what more this series could possibly bring! I'm so excited to read book two!

Book Review: Three Dark Crowns; Kendare Blake.

I've been desperate to read this book for some time, though it felt like the kind of book that would go either way for me: it would either by my new favourite or a hot mess. Luckily my trust was placed well and though it started pretty slow, I liked it a lot!

SOURCE: Present
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Three Dark Crowns
AUTHOR: Kendare Blake
SERIES: Three Dark Crowns (#1)
PUBLISHER: Macmillan Children's Books
PAGES: 405
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn't solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it's not just a game of win or lose...it's life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

What I Liked:

• The tone of this book is deliciously dark and that was probably my favourite ting about it. It read like YA of course, but wasn't afraid to touch on a few more mature themes and I liked how each place had a different aura (Katherine's poisoners were very macabre, Arsinoe's village very quaint and rough and Mirabella's home felt like it was hotter and old-school Fantasy) because it added to the 'A Song Of Ice & Fire' vibes I got from it. It was very clear that this was no coincidence, and sometimes a little too obvious that Blake was drawing her influences from the beloved series but this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I love political intrigue.
• Blake writes very well and has a knack for great twists. The pace was pretty slow to begin with and I was a little worried that I would get bored, but I felt that Blake kept it interesting and it definitely built up to something explosive rather than fizzling out which I often find in books. She did a great job with the world-building too and I liked that she'd clearly thought about lore, history and differing social etiquette. It kept things more interesting, that's for sure.

What I Disliked:

• There were a few minor niggles I could have done without. Mostly the switching between past and present tense and fairly frequent intervals, which should have been picked up on by an editor. There was a love triangle that I didn't totally hate but it definitely felt more like a plot device than anything. Also, the aforementioned links to the 'A Song Of Ice & Fire' series were, as I said, too obvious at times: animal familiars, the Lannister-like poisoners, and let's face it, Pietyr was Petyr Baelish without a shadow of a doubt.

Overall Conclusion:

This was a great book and despite a few obvious flaws, I really liked a lot about it. It was definitely a book that grabbed my attention and had me talking about it constantly, and when I stopped reading I couldn't wait to get back! I liked all three sisters for different reasons, and listening to each of them second-guessing each other's motives and misinterpreting things was so interesting! I was rooting for them all and can't wait to read book two!

Book Review: Radio Silence; Alice Oseman.

I loved this book. I really don't think there's much else to say other than that because it's my favourite read of the month if not the year so far! Wow! I'm having such a good Contemporary YA year!

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Radio Silence
AUTHOR: Alice Oseman
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins Children's Books
PAGES: 337
GENRE: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:

What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong?

Frances has always been a study machine with one goal, elite university. Nothing will stand in her way; not friends, not a guilty secret – not even the person she is on the inside. But when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favourite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. He unlocks the door to Real Frances and for the first time she experiences true friendship, unafraid to be herself. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken.

Caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances’ dreams come crashing down. Suffocating with guilt, she knows that she has to confront her past…She has to confess why Carys disappeared…

Meanwhile at uni, Aled is alone, fighting even darker secrets. It’s only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. And it’s only by being your true self that you can find happiness. Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has.

What I Liked:

• There were so many great things about this book, but above all Oseman was 100% spot on about characters and relationships here! Frances was a great MC, so relateable in her desperate bid to 'fit in' when in fact she was a completely different person. I loved her platonic friendship with Aled: no romancing or love interests here! Oseman is also responsible for the best portrayal of a gay relationship that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. That's not exaggeration. Not to mention a perfect example of a great Mum and child relationship versus a very toxic one
• I loved the diversity and themes covered in this book: depression and suicidal thoughts, stress, the education system, runaways, etc. And it does so in a thoroughly relateable way. Oseman writes so well too, a real talent! Also, while speaking of relateable, these characters are actually just like real teens: they get ill, they go to the toilet, they are not all white and straight, they PLAY THE SIMS, they text and use social media, all things I did as a teen! I almost cried with relief because reading some books about teen life is almost like stepping into a parallel universe without this stuff!

What I Disliked:

• Okay this isn't really much of a dislike because I loved the drama and 'teens on a mission' feel of it all, but the end of the book really felt a little on the bizarre side. Aled's mother was almost ridiculous in her villainy and there was a car chase and everything. Again, I LOVED it and didn't care, but I wrote it here because I can imagine that if anyone's going to take offence with this book, that will be the reason.

Overall Conclusion:

This book is so awesome and as I've already said, probably my favourite read of the year so far. I loved it! Alice Oseman is certainly a talent I've been missing out on, I don't want to make the same mistake again and while I've been having a great year so far with YA Contemporary, this is the icing on the cake! I want to be friends with all the characters, am left with a bazillion feels, can't believe I've finally read a book set in Kent (my home county) and NEED MORE ASAP. 'Solitaire' is well and truly on the TBR, that's for sure!

Book Review: Ruin & Rising; Leigh Bardugo.

I have a really strange relationship with this series, and even now I don't quite understand it. On the one hand, while reading I've always really enjoyed the books and given them high ratings. On the other hand, between novels, I find it really hard to remember why I liked them and can only think about the tiny things I didn't enjoy which is why I end up putting them off for so long. This book was no different!

SOURCE: Gift
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Ruin & Rising
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
SERIES: The Grisha (#3)
PUBLISHER: Indigo
PAGES: 368
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

What I Liked:

• Bardugo did it again with the characters (for the most part) and it's not only the development of them individually that I liked, but also the way that they interacted with each other. The dialogue is always easy and real, injected with humour. Alina grew on me during this book which I'm glad about as she's the narrator. I also adored Nikolai's scenes (of which there were a lot more) and once again found myself reminded of why the Darkling is such a wonderful, multi-faceted villain. Bardugo certainly manages to make her characters individual, whether we're seeing awkward David, vain Zoya or grumpy Bhagra. Fantastic characters all!
• The world-building in this series is always spot on. I love it's references to Russian culture, as it gives it a different feel to other Fantasy series. I also loved the rest of the information that we gleaned from Bardugo's imaginings of other areas of Ravka. War, politics and historical context all play a big part in the story, as does the landscaping of the world itself. 

What I Disliked:

• Part of my biggest problem with this series has always been the romance because I just don't feel it. Mal is not a great love interest, in fact I think he's the only predictable character in the entire thing. Sullen, moody, constantly wanting to sacrifice himself and as a result, boring. His interactions with Alina don't hold any real chemistry in my opinion and though I didn't really hate the way they ended, I didn't love it either. I simply didn't care.

Overall Conclusion:

It seems that no matter what he does, Mal and I are never going to get along. He's just not gained the same kind of development that other characters in this novel have and that's a real shame. However, I still loved this finale, because absolutely everything else about it was perfect! There was plenty of action, mixed with many thrills, twists and turns to keep me interested and Bardugo did a great job at making each member of her rather large cast stand out. I'm glad I finally finished 'The Grisha' series, as at last I can start 'Six Of Crows' which I've been waiting to read forever! Hooray!

Book Review: Under Rose-Tainted Skies; Louise Gornall.

Usually, I would call contemporary YA a bit of a touch and go gene for me. I have some great experiences but also find a lot of the story-lines very similar, a lack of representation and insta-love that puts me off pretty much straight away. But recently I've had a really good run of them, and this read was yet another one I enjoyed!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Under Rose-Tainted Skies
AUTHOR: Louise Gornall
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Chicken House
PAGES: 272
GENRE: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Agoraphobia confines Norah to the house she shares with her mother.

For her, the outside is sky glimpsed through glass, or a gauntlet to run between home and car. But a chance encounter on the doorstep changes everything: Luke, her new neighbour. Norah is determined to be the girl she thinks Luke deserves: a ‘normal’ girl, her skies unfiltered by the lens of mental illness. Instead, her love and bravery opens a window to unexpected truths...


What I Liked:

• There were so many aspects of this book that I enjoyed! More than anything, I loved the focus that Gornall gave to mental health: in particular, OCD, Agoraphobia and self harm. I realised in fact that I have never read a book that focuses on self harm which is disappointing because it's an issue that a lot of teens face nowadays and I think should be properly discussed. I don't have Agoraphobia or severe OCD like Norah but the anxiety thing was 100% spot on, that's for sure. Also, bonus points for the positive outlook on therapy!
• I really did have a lot of love for the romance in this book, and that's a great compliment from me because that genre is not something I usually enjoy all that much. Luke was absolutely adorable and really meshed well with Norah. I loved the cute letters through the post box and his unstoppable enthusiasm and understanding of Norah's situation AND the fact that Luke wasn't there to 'cure' her. In fact in some ways, he made things worse. His backstory made for an interesting read too. Norah was likeable enough as an MC and I was impressed that Gornall put so much development into all her characters (except maybe Amy, who definitely fit a 'trope').

What I Disliked:

• There were a couple of issues with this book that stopped me from giving it the full five stars, and they mostly arose from the ending...or lack of. I understand that mental illness doesn't just stop and life goes on, but the whole someone breaking in thing felt a little forced and bizarre and the recovery from the hospital didn't satisfy like the rest of the book had. It didn't address the self-harm, nor did it give any 'where do we go from here' hints. 

Overall Conclusion:

This book definitely lives up to the hype it's been receiving in the Blogosphere and I'm glad that I ended up enjoying it so much. Don't be fooled by it's pretty pink cover, this book goes dark when it needs to and I think it will be triggering for some people that read it. However, it covers a lot of important issues really well and does a wonderful job of introducing a cute romance story-line in the process. I just wish that the ending had been as well thought out as the rest of the book!

Book Review: Rebel Of The Sands; Alwyn Hamilton.

This is a book I've been really looking forward to reading, most;y because it follows in the path of books I've loved before regarding the setting: a hot desert filled with sharpshooting heroines and/or magic, Arabian folklore and the supernatural. In fact, this book has all those things and I liked it a lot! Also, I'm entering this book into the monthly Key Word challenge AND the Monthly Motif challenge.

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Rebel Of The Sands
AUTHOR: Alwyn Hamilton
SERIES: Rebel Of The Sands (#1)
PUBLISHER: Faber & Faber
PAGES: 358
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Dustwalk is an unforgiving, dead-end town. It's not the place to be poor or orphaned or female. And yet Amani Al'Hiza must call it 'home'.

Amani wants to escape and see the world she's heard about in campfire stories.

Then a foreigner with no name turns up, and with him she has the chance to run. 

But the desert plains are full of dangerous magic. The Sultan's army is on the rise and Amani is soon caught at the heart of a fearless rebellion...

What I Liked:

• Obviously the world-building was my favourite part of the book purely for the above-mentioned reasons: I really like Desert settings. 'Vengeance Road' by Erin Bowman was my favourite read of 2015 and like that book, this had the spirit of a rootin', tootin' Wild West novel including the sharpshooting heroine. But more than that, it contained elements of the Arabian/Indian folklore that has surrounded some of my other favourite novels: 'The Star-Touched Queen' by Roshani Chokshi or 'A Thousand Night's by E.K. Johnston for example. Hamilton did a gorgeous job of combining those two worlds together and made it feel comfortingly familiar yet new and exciting at the same time!
• Amani was a really great heroine and I adored her feisty, stubborn nature mixed with intelligence, wit and quick-thinking to get her out of a sticky situation. Also, I'm so glad that Hamilton made her a PoC because I constantly harp on about the need for more representation for minorities in YA and when it happens, it warms my heart. Jin was a great character too and I really adored him more and more as I read on. What can I say? I'm clearly a sucker for the charming guys that have a sense of humour!

What I Disliked:

• While this was a great book, I have to say it didn't grab me in the same way that those other desert reads I mentioned did. I feel that this is partly down to the incredibly fast pace of the novel. While I appreciate a book with plenty of action, this felt non-stop and allowed very little time to meet or get to know any characters. I would really have liked some areas to be slower so that more development could have taken place (particularly regarding Amani and Jin as a couple, I liked them together but it felt pretty rushed).

Overall Conclusion:

I liked this first installment a lot and I really feel like this series has so much potential. Hamilton demonstrates some pretty rich world-building talents, the writing was good and I liked the characters a lot. I wish that there had been some slower moments in the book where I could have got to know characters other than Amani and Jin better. I especially felt that the last third or so with Jin's family was rushed. Suddenly Hamilton unloads a ton of new characters on you and barely scratches the surface with any of their personalities, even revealing portions of their backstory through some very forced dialogue. Frankly, I got confused about who was related to who and skimmed a fair amount of that section. This series has a LOT of potential though and I'm still hoping that Hamilton will find her feet a bit better in 'Traitor To The Throne' because I'll definitely be reading it.

Book Review: A Quiet Kind Of Thunder; Sara Barnard.

This book has been pretty high on my TBR list ever since it was first announced! After all, I really enjoyed Barnard's debut 'Beautiful Broken Things' and I was overjoyed when Pan Macmillan sent me an ARC of my own to read. I finally got round to this gorgeous book and it blew my expectations out of the water! It also contributes to my Monthly Key Word Challenge!

SOURCE: ARC Sent By Publisher
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: A Quiet Kind Of Thunder
AUTHOR: Sara Barnard
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Macmillan Children's Books
PAGES: 320
GENRE: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. 



What I Liked:

• The diversity was by far the best aspect of this book because Sara Barnard became one of those few, rare authors who remembered that not everyone is white, straight and physically/mentally able. Steffi, the MC, suffers from crippling Anxiety and Selective Mutism. Rhys, the love interest is mixed race and deaf which has to be the first time I've read that in a story ever. Even side characters such as Tem (who is black) are diverse and it really gave the story much more depth.
• Barnard's ability to write good characters and gorgeous relationships is incredible. I knew this from 'Beautiful Broken Things' but didn't know that she could pull off romance just as well as friendship! She didn't let friendship go completely, and watching Steffi and Tem interact was just as heart-warming to read as following Steffi and Rhys' relationship. I liked that they started as friends, I like that their feelings grew over a longer time than is usually found in YA, and everything from the initial 'crush' to the development into love felt so realistic. 
• Boy, did this author do some fantastic research. I already know from my own experiences about anxiety and I can safely say that Barnard was either pulling from her own experiences or went to town in nailing exactly what it feels like from other people because she got it so right. As for the inclusion of the deaf community, BSL and the hardships that come with being deaf, Barnard taught me so much and I'm glad she bravely decided to tackle the topic. Rhys, as I said before, was a great character with boyish charm and a adorable, fun nature. But even better, he came with his own insecurities and vulnerable moments which is important to be seen in a guy too.

What I Disliked:

• Honestly, I didn't dislike anything about this book. If I had to pick something I wanted to be improved I'd say that the ending seemed to cut off a little strangely, as if Barnard wasn't 100% sure how to finish her masterpiece. The pacing towards the climax of the book felt a little quick too, but I still really liked how the book ended and have 100% fallen for every one of those characters.

Overall Conclusion:

Gah! Everything about this book makes me want to squeal and I think I'll be having a book hangover for a few days after this one. I don't usually like romance but this perfectly and realistically portrayed how teenage romance feels, and I loved the inclusion of so many realistic scenarios such as first time sex (and hand job) in a way that doesn't normally get seen in YA or in fact most books. It was messy, awkward and yet still kind of hot, which is exactly what it is like. Especially the first time. I liked this book even better than 'Beautiful Broken Things' and I'm really looking forward to the next Barnard book!

My 2017 Challenge Sign-Up Post!

I've been looking forward to this post, though this year I'm not going to join so many challenges. I like to use them as a guide to help me pick my reads, but I was beginning to feel like they were dictating it a little too much last year, so I've picked some of my favourites but I'm planning to be a lot more relaxed about them.

The first I've picked is the 2017 Key Word Challenge.

I adored this challenge last year and there are some interesting new picks this year round, so I look forward to being involved!

Next up, the 2017 Monthly Motif Challenge.

Another book challenge that I participated in and enjoyed last year, and just like the Key Word challenge, it's received a bit of a new look. These challenges really help me to narrow down the book pile when I choose each month, so I wanted to keep them around!

Thirdly, I chose a challenge that helped me out a lot last year by allowing me to keep up with some newer reads rather than just sticking to the old ones: the 2017 New Release Challenge.

I have really enjoyed this challenge during 2016, as during the first two years of my blog's existence I've mostly been catching up with my TBR pile from years before. I've still a long way to go, but it's nice to board the hype train and read what everyone else is reading now!

I am going to aim for the Newbie level (1-30 Books) because I'm trying not to pressurise myself too much.

My next chosen challenge is the Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading challenge.

Again, this challenge has been a big help in increasing my Netgalley ratio and I'd like to use it to do so even more. I'm currently on 45% so I still need a lot of work!

My aim is to reach Silver level (25 Books) because that will be a good half of the books I currently have lined up to read. Phew!

I'm trying hard to become a more diverse reader too, so I'm joining a couple of challenges that will help me do that. The first is the LGBTQIA Challenge which I saw but didn't sign up for last year.

This is a challenge that I want to take part in because this year, I'm interested in reading more fiction that is representative of minorities, including the LGBTQ+ community. The few titles I managed last year I really enjoyed, so I'm hoping for more like that this year.

I'm aiming for at least Orange (6 - 12 Books) so that a good fifth of my average yearly reads will involve LGBTQ+ characters!

I'm also joining the 2017 Diverse Reads Challenge for similar reasons!

This challenge is aimed at promoting all kinds of diversity: ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and both physical and mental health. Challenges like this is what is going to get books containing these things noticed and help them to become more frequent. I am very excited.

And that about wraps it up for year-long challenges I'll be joining. I'm also excited to announce that the Story Sprites Challenge is back, which involves a three-monthly board being released and I am most certainly joining in, so here is the board for January - March (Round Six)!

Gorgeous, right? This is going to be a really great board, I can tell! I can't wait to see how many I manage!

Book Review: Stealing Snow; Danielle Paige.

This book disappointed me on so many levels and I've had to think long and hard on how best to describe how, because there were so many problems! It's a shame, as I'd been looking forward to reading a Fairy Tale retelling, especially as I'd heard such good things about 'Dorothy Must Die'.

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Stealing Snow
AUTHOR: Danielle Paige
SERIES: Stealing Snow (#1)
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury Childrens
PAGES: 380
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Adventure

RATING: 1.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Snow lives within the walls of the Whittaker Institute, a high security mental hospital in upstate New York. Deep down, she knows she doesn't belong there, but she has no memory of life outside, except for the strangest dreams. And then a mysterious, handsome man, an orderly in the hospital, opens a door – and Snow knows that she has to leave…

She finds herself in icy Algid, her true home, with witches, thieves, and a strangely alluring boy named Kai. As secret after secret is revealed, Snow discovers that she is on the run from a royal lineage she's destined to inherit, a father more powerful and ruthless than she could have imagined, and choices of the heart that could change everything. Heroine or villain, queen or broken girl, frozen heart or true love, Snow must choose her fate…

What I Liked:

• I rarely struggle to speak positively about books. In every single one of them I normally find something good to say, and often I berate myself because I fear that I'm not harsh enough on books that haven't won me over. Here...I struggled. I can see that Paige has definitely put some effort into trying to appeal to her readers. Elements of the story and world-building were nice and the odd character choice had moments that they appealed to me. Sadly, these vague allusions to moments of potential are all I have.

What I Disliked:

• I have a few things to go through, so let's start with the world-building. Only one word can be used to describe it: vague. When I saw that this book was a crossover of Snow White and the Snow Queen, an interesting choice, I expected ice. However, ice was pretty much all I got! There was snow everywhere, some generic forests, rivers and castles that were bizarre colours just to attempt to show some imagination, and penguins. Even the name of the world, Algid, sounds like something taken from a name generator. Clearly Paige's focus was not on developing her world.
• Alright so what if the world-building was non-existent? Clearly Paige wanted to focus on the action, right? Wrong? This book did not contain a coherent plot-line as such, but was instead made up of a series of moments that seemed like it was checking off a list rather than actually contributing to the plot. One minute she's in an asylum, then running to a tree where she meets the guy she dreamed about but is IMMEDIATELY taken someplace else where she stays for only a few chapters before TRAVELLING ELSEWHERE to prepare for a mission to DO SOMETHING ELSE. Honestly, I was so confused and that was without the flashbacks. I like fast-paced but this was too much.
• So a character book then? Nah. Who needs to develop characters, right? Seeing as Snow, an unlikeable heroine at best, took so many trips to absolutely everywhere (though it pretty much all looked the same so how would I know) she didn't have time to stop and chat too much. We meet a few guys along the way and though we don't know much about them she proceeds to be in love with them all immediately. There are also a couple of LGBT relationships that you would think would work in Paige's favour but as they are only briefly mentioned in order to check the diversity box (though let's face it, it should be unchecked again for the horrible depiction of mental illness at the beginning). I literally didn't care for any of the characters, or what happened to them at the end.

Overall Conclusion:

This was not an enjoyable read, and that's because despite it's 380 page length everything was massively underdeveloped! I felt like I'd not really learned much about the plot, the people OR the world by the time I came out the other side. It took me a really long time to gt through this book too because the writing was not in the least bit engaging for me. I wanted to DNF so badly but chose not to break my rule. Time to move on I think!

Book Review: The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams; Stephen King.

After such a long time since I read Stephen King, I felt that it was time I gave his works another shot. This time I chose a book of short stories because I felt his 1000+ page-long 'It' was a little too much for me to handle before. This was definitely the right choice because even his short stories were fairly long!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams
AUTHOR: Stephen King
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Hodder & Stoughton
PAGES: 507
GENRE: Adult, Horror, Short Stories, Mystery

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
In this new collection King assembles, for the first time, recent stories that have never been published in a book. He introduces each with a passage about its origins or his motivations for writing it.

There are thrilling connections between stories; themes of morality, the afterlife, guilt, what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past. “Afterlife” is about a man who died of colon cancer and keeps reliving the same life, repeating his mistakes over and over again. Several stories feature characters at the end of life, revisiting their crimes and misdemeanors. Other stories address what happens when someone discovers that he has supernatural powers—the columnist who kills people by writing their obituaries in “Obits;” the old judge in “The Dune” who, as a boy, canoed to a deserted island and saw names written in the sand, the names of people who then died in freak accidents. In “Morality,” King looks at how a marriage and two lives fall apart after the wife and husband enter into what seems, at first, a devil’s pact they can win.

What I Liked:

• King's writing is exquisitely detailed and while for readers such as myself who have a shorter attention span this can be difficult, I can fully appreciate why he is considered a master of writing. His sense of atmosphere and build-up is particularly masterful and necessary in his chosen genre, horror. There's no doubt about it, King is a great writer and I can't say that I really disliked any of these stories though I enjoyed some more than others.
• There is a huge variety in these stories, though as the blurb says, they are all linked in terms of theme. There really is something for everyone here, whether you prefer slow suspense, stories on the unusual, or supernatural thrills, you'll get it here. There's even a spot of poetry! Stories I particularly enjoyed included 'Obits' for it's focus on morality, 'Summer Thunder' because of that Dystopian edge it had, 'Ur' which was probably my favourite because it took me back to a time when the Kindle was a brand new concept and 'Bad Little Kid' which gave me fond memories of the things I'd liked about 'It'.

What I Disliked:

• As I said, there were some stories I liked more than others and while I didn't hate any of them, some left me feeling very frustrated, as if I had missed out on something. 'That Bus Is Another World' for example, or 'A Death' and 'The Little Green God Of Agony'. Areas felt rushed and I didn't connect with them in the same way that I did others. I would have really liked to have enjoyed all of the stories, as I consider myself a pretty diverse reader and don't feel this is solely down to personal preference.

Overall Conclusion:

This was a good little collection of stories that had a lot of variety yet played upon similar themes and each contained a distinct style from King. His writing and attention to detail truly is superb. Some of the stories didn't grab me as well as others, and I have to say, that very few of them had a new setting for me to immerse myself into. Most of them were set in Maine, which seems to be King's 'area' of choice in his works. He clearly knows it very well but often writes it in a shady, grubby manner, causing me to long for a totally new setting altogether.