Review: Glass Town Wars by Celia Rees (DNF)

All these Glass Town intrigues. No matter how long you'd been absent, how far you'd travelled, once you were back, it was as though you'd never been away.

Tom and Augusta are from different places and different times, but they meet in the virtual world to combine forces in battle, to save a kingdom, escape a web of deceit and to find love. In a place where fictions can be truths and truths fictions, learning who to trust is more than friendship, it is about about survival.

Glass Town Wars, inspired by the early writings of the Brontës, is a captivating, magical novel by the renowned Celia Rees.

All these Glass Town intrigues. No matter how long you'd been absent, how far you'd travelled, once you were back, it was as though you'd never been away.

Tom and Augusta are from different places and different times, but they meet in the virtual world to combine forces in battle, to save a kingdom, escape a web of deceit and to find love. In a place where fictions can be truths and truths fictions, learning who to trust is more than friendship, it is about survival.

Glass Town Wars, inspired by the early writings of the Brontës, is a captivating, magical novel by the renowned Celia Rees

I used to be a huge Celia Rees fan when I was in my teens, even though I'm pretty sure it's been over ten years since I read a book by her. When I saw Glass Town Wars  I didn't even need to think before requesting it.

I was so unbelievably dissapointed. From the very start, I had no idea what was going on and as the story went on I realized that I didn't massively care to find out. The writing wasn't engaging and I didn't care for any of the characters.

Unfortunately, despite my previous love for this author, I was unable to finish this book and gave up at 30%.

DNF

Book released  8th September 2020 by Pushkin Children's

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: The Pioneer by Bridget Tyler (DNF)

When Jo steps onto Tau Ceti E, it should be the happiest moment of her life. After all, she’s been training for as long as she can remember to be a cadet pilot in the International Space Agency. She’s dreamed of the day she and her family would leave Earth forever and begin life as pioneers on a new planet.

But now she can’t stop thinking of everything that has gone wrong on their mission: the terrible accident that nearly destroyed their craft, that set their voyage back years, that killed her brother, that left her unable to fly…

As Jo struggles to live with her grief and figure out who she’s going to be now, she falls in love with her new world. It isn’t hard. Jo’s team is camped out by a pristine, tumbling river at the base of a mountain range that looks like huge prisms buried in the prairie. The soring crystal peaks transform every sunset into rainbows full of colors human eyes have never seen before. And that’s just the beginning. Tau offers Jo and her family a lifetime of beauty and adventure.

Jo throws herself into helping her team, lead by her commander mother, establish their community on this amazing new world. But just when she starts to feel like her old self again, she uncovers a devastating secret her mother has been keeping from her people. A secret that could destroy her family’s pioneering dreams…if they survive that long.

With the fate of the pioneers in her hands, Jo must decide how far she’s willing to go to expose the truth — before the truth destroys them all.

It has been sooooo long since I found a sci-fi book that I really enjoyed. The Pioneer unfortunately did not break this bad streak.

Okay, so first things first... I did DNF this book at 56%, and as you may know from previous reviews I don't always give long reviews for DNF books as it's unfair to do so.

So to sum up the reason that this book was a DNF. I enjoyed the start of the book enough, sure the pacing was off but I liked Jo and her willfullness. It just got a bit weird with aliens and then I just lost the plot a little and I had to give up because I was just not with it anymore.

Book released 5th March 2019 by HarperTeen

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole

Octavia has only ever had one goal: to follow in the footsteps of her parents and become a prestigious whitecoat, one of the scientists who study the natural wonders of Faloiv. The secrets of the jungle’s exotic plants and animals are protected fiercely in the labs by the Council of N’Terra, so when the rules suddenly change, allowing students inside, Octavia should be overjoyed.

But something isn’t right. The newly elected leader of the Council has some extremist views about the way he believes N’Terra should be run, and he’s influencing others to follow him. When Octavia witnesses one of the Faloii—the indigenous people of Faloiv—attacked in front of her in the dark of night, she knows the Council is hiding something. They are living in separate worlds on a shared planet, and their fragile peace may soon turn into an all-out war.

With the help of Rondo, a quiet boy in class with a skill for hacking, and her inquisitive best friend, Alma, Octavia is set on a collision course to discover the secrets behind the history she’s been taught, the science she’s lived by, and the truth about her family.

 

For all of my criticising that I do over books with no worldbuilding, I kind of wish that this book had less. I am an impatient person, and even when reading I am impatient. I don't want to grow to like a book, I want to like it straight off the bat. Even the most amazing book won't seem that amazing if the pacing is even slightly off.

Now, do not get me wrong here, it wasn't a bad book. It just took too long to get interesting and then it was just that - interesting. It wasn't amazing or brilliant or shocking, it was just a good book, that would have been less 'meh' if it hadn't taken so long to get into.

There is so many good things in this book, and Octavia was definitely one of them. She starts out eager to please, eager to throw herself in and become something, as the book develops and she realises that things aren't at all what they seem, she begins to become more inquisitive and question more until eventually she becomes her own person. it's handled in such an authentic way that I really liked her as a character. I also love the messaged that this book handles - it doesn't even try to veil the messages with regards to colonies and the damage they can do.

In fact, if it hadn't been for the awful pacing I would have really loved this book, because there are very few flaws that I can find. My issues was that I just did not get dragged into this book because of the awful pacing so I didn't really connect with it on a deeper level.

Overall, A Conspiracy of Stars was a long read. The plot and characters were well planned out, I just really struggled to drudge through the slower parts of this book.

Book released 2nd January 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: The Final Six by Alexandra Monir

When Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, and Naomi, a science genius from California, are two of the twenty-four teens drafted into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever altered. After erratic climate change has made Earth a dangerous place to live, the fate of the population rests on the shoulders of the final six who will be scouting a new planet. Intense training, global scrutiny, and cutthroat opponents are only a few of the hurdles the contestants must endure in this competition.


For Leo, the prospect of traveling to Europa—Jupiter’s moon—to help resettle humankind is just the sense of purpose he’s been yearning for since losing his entire family in the flooding of Rome. Naomi, after learning of a similar space mission that mysteriously failed, suspects the ISTC isn’t being up front with them about what’s at risk.

To say that this is the book that encouraged me to start reviewing again after a hiatus of over a year says a lot about it's awesomeness.

I've not really been into sci-fi books for quite a while, to be honest I've found them so samey recently and I've just not managed to find one which grips me and keeps me the way The Final Six did. From the very first chapter when we meet Leo and Naomi to the final line I was gripped. I reran my bath water like five times and finished it in a matter of hours. It was such a page-turner.

What really impressed me about this book was the whole air of suspense and mystery in it. You know there's something secret going on, but you never completely guess it. You make some hazardous guesses along the right lines, so when it is revealed it doesn't feel out of nowhere but it's still enough of a shock to leave a reader reeling.

I loved Leo as a character, he was so warm and caring and the development of feelings for Naomi felt so organic and realistic. Naomi was such a lovely person as well - driven in her mission for the truth but not so much that she completely shuts herself from any real interactions with other people. I genuinely just loved reading about these two and came to rally care about their wellbeing and relationship.

If there's just one thing that I would say brought this book down, it was - to a small degree - the writing. I could never really tell the difference between Leo's chapters and Naomi's so sometimes I would think I was reading Naomi's point of view and it was actually Leo. Also, some of the dialogue felt a little pushed and not really what anybody in that scenario would say.

Nonetheless, I still absolutely adored this book. The ending has left me wanting more and more, and I am so excited for the next in the series!

Book released 6th March 2018 by HarperTeen

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: The Loneliness of Distant Beings by Kate Ling

Even though she knows it's impossible, Seren longs to have the sunshine on her skin. It's something she feels she needs to stay sane. But when you're floating through space at thousands of kilometres an hour, sometimes you have to accept there are things you cannot change.

Except that the arrival of Dom in her life changes everything in ways she can barely comprehend. For a while he becomes the Sun for her; and she can't help but stay in his orbit. Being with him flaunts every rule designed to keep their home in order, but to lose him would be like losing herself.

In the end they must decide what is most important: loyalty to the only home they've ever known, or to each other?

I have a problem with books like this, spaceship romance stories. They all seem very similar to me, with a female MC who is different to everyone else, she meets a guy who makes her see the world i a whole new light and they fight back agaisnt the small world which cleary is against them. Really, none of this worked for me.

For me, The Loneliness of Distant Beings was remniscent of Acoss the Universe, but just a lot less enjoyable I hate to say it but despite the fact that the concept was very good and some of the bits such as the controlled environment and the way of living was well done.The problem was just the romance.

Insta-love, ugh. It can't be that hard to write alove story with some development! How can I support a romance and believe in it if there is no development and no reason why these two people like each other. Sure, Selen and Dom were nice enough character but did I really believe in their love? Not even a tiny bit...

And when that love story is such a large part of the book anyway, it just becomes so much harder to enjoy that book, and that is why for me this book just did not work, I am so so so sorry to say it, but there was just a big disconnect there for me...

Book released May19th by Little,Brown Books for Young Readers

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. But people never change: everyone here wants something…and everyone has something to lose.

Leda Cole’s flawless exterior belies a secret addiction—to a drug she never should have tried and a boy she never should have touched.

Eris Dodd-Radson’s beautiful, carefree life falls to pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart.

Rylin Myers’s job on one of the highest floors sweeps her into a world—and a romance—she never imagined…but will her new life cost Rylin her old one?

Watt Bakradi is a tech genius with a secret: he knows everything about everyone. But when he’s hired to spy by an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught up in a complicated web of lies.

And living above everyone else on the thousandth floor is Avery Fuller, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all—yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

If I had to describe The Thousandth Floor, it would be Kidulthood meets Gossip Girl meets The 100 meets Pretty Little Liars. It has the sci-fi futuristic feel, the young adults getting involved in illegal substances and such and also the whole classe system thrown in there. I really enjoyed this mix of things, and I will go right ahead right now and say that this book is quite possibly one of the most original and memorable books I've read in quite a while. It may not be one of the best but it was still great and I am super excited that it's being optioned for a TV series.

Firstly, lemme give a shout out to brilliant world building - whilst some of the science didn't add up (the building is like miles high, but the teens can hang out on the roof without getting altitude sickness/any other effects of the height), and yes some of the descriptions of parts of the tower were hard to envision - I still really enjoyed the way that rather than give us any kind of infodump we just get the world as it happens. We are in the tower and we just need to adapt to it. 

The start of this book was perfect. From the first page we know that someone is going to die, the next 400+ pages had me asking who exactly that someone was, and in what circumstances?

I also can't give enough love to all of these intertwining stories that start out separate and then begin to wind around each other until the climax of the book which was absolutely brilliant. My fave characters were Avery, Watt and Eris, but all of them were completely unique and really enjoyable to read about.

The only thing I didn't completely love was the pacing of the book - there were some parts which were really addictive but at times the pace dropped a little and I had to keep pushing myself into it.

Overall, The Thousandth Floor was a super enjoyable read which took teen drama into the 22nd century. I can't wait for the TV show and I totally cannot wait for the sequel.

Book released August 30th by HarperCollins

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (DNF)

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home... forever.

Passenger is a book that I think you'll either love or hate, for me it was the second, or at least the 27% that I read was.

I found the first quarter of this book just dragged for me, with very detailed descriptions of every sight, sound... the romance just dropped in instantaneously and for me the story just didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Usually, if this is the case then I will just push through until something interesting happens, but that just didn't seem likely in this case so instead I just gave up.

It's a pity because Bracken's Brightly Woven is always one of my fave books to read if I am in a slump, it's so witty and bright and exciting, but since then I haven't managed to get through a single of her books. I know she can do it, but she just isn't doing it for me these days.

Overall Rating: DNF

Book released January 2016 by Disney Hyperion

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: Firstlife by Gena Showalte

Tenley “Ten” Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live—after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms who will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she’s drawn to isn’t home to the boy she’s falling for? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…

I know that a lot of people are raving about Firstlife so I feel like my low opinion may actually come as a shock to many, but in my opinion Firstlife was 150 pages too long and comes in as one of the most dragging, slow books that I have read in such a long time. Which is super sad because this was actually my WoW pick a few months ago.

From the first page, I think I knew that this book wasn't going to work for me. The world is confusing, but Showalter tries to fix this by throwing a full on infodump at the reader - this just left me with even more of a headache than the confusing setting had already given me. On top of that, I just couldn't like Ten, which is a problem with a main character... she was shallow and selfish and indecisive without so much of an inkling of an idea why she was this way. She just was. As much as that annoyed me, what really annoyed me was the whole chosen one aspect where Ten is in demand and special. I have no idea why. This is the girl who can't choose a boy, or a world. 

I bet she would be a nightmare to actually spend time with.

The boys, Killian and Archer, are kind of like the devil and the angel on Ten's shoulder. I disliked both of them, mainly because through Ten's eyes the only thing she thinks is how hot they are.

I've been a fan of Showalter's other books, and at times he standard great writing comes through. For me though, Firstlife was a failure at executing a pretty good idea. This book was difficult to finish and actually threw me back into a reading slump.

Book released 23rd February by harlequin teen

Book received from the publisher (via Edelweiss) in exchange for an honest review.

Review: A Drop of Night by Stefan Bachmann

Seventeen-year-old Anouk has finally caught the break she’s been looking for—she's been selected out of hundreds of other candidates to fly to France and help with the excavation of a vast, underground palace buried a hundred feet below the suburbs of Paris. Built in the 1780's to hide an aristocratic family and a mad duke during the French Revolution, the palace has lain hidden and forgotten ever since. Anouk, along with several other gifted teenagers, will be the first to set foot in it in over two centuries.

Or so she thought.

But nothing is as it seems, and the teens soon find themselves embroiled in a game far more sinister, and dangerous, than they could possibly have imagined. An evil spanning centuries is waiting for them in the depths. . .

This was absolutely nothing like anything that I was expecting and for that, this book get points. 

I was absorbed into the book from the very start. Before we even start guessing about the mystery behind the Butterfly Palace we have other mysteries put on us, like why Anouk is the way she is and what happened in her past to make her that way. We're then introduced to the menacing Dorf and the big mystery of the book. Then things change direction in a reeling way and the book changes from atmospheric mystery to some sort of crazy survival sci-i type thing - think the Triwizard Cup maze in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, just a lot more terrifying. 

So the whole thing is pretty fast paced with new things being thrown in at every turn. The only thing is, despite the mystery and all of the new dangers, I was thoroughly bored halfway through the books. Of course, there were parts where my interest peaked a little again, but the book failed to hold my attention which surprises me because of how high-stakes the whole thing was.

I think the mixture of characters was very interesting, and the whole background story was terrifying and great, but I think the writing style just didn't work for me, and this book hasn't really stuck in my mind since.

Book released 15th March by Greenwillow Books

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Review: Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson

Odea Donahue has been able to travel through people’s dreams since she was six years old. Her mother taught her the three rules of walking: Never interfere. Never be seen. Never walk the same person’s dream more than once. Dea has never questioned her mother, not about the rules, not about the clocks or the mirrors, not about moving from place to place to be one step ahead of the unseen monsters that Dea’s mother is certain are right behind them.

Then a mysterious new boy, Connor, comes to town and Dea finally starts to feel normal. As Connor breaks down the walls that she’s had up for so long, he gets closer to learning her secret. For the first time she wonders if that’s so bad. But when Dea breaks the rules, the boundary between worlds begins to deteriorate. How can she know what’s real and what’s not?

I don't know what I was expecting from Dreamland. Honestly, I don't think I really knew what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got an original enjoyable book that both fit into the typical YA paranormal mould as well as managed to do something original that kept me interested. 

I can't claim that Dreamland was an amazing book because it definitely had it's flaws. I can, however, say that it did something new and original that kept me absorbed into the book. Odea was such a great character to read about, she was tough - that starnge girl that holds her head up even though people see her as weird. I did feel that at times her actions were a little inconsistent with what we have been lled to believe about her personality - I also felt like that about Connor.

The story was engaging from the start but up until around two-thirds in I felt like not much happened, Of course, that all changed when we learn about Dea's origins. Then things got interesting, albeit a little confusing as well. I didn't feel like I completely connected with the story or the characters, but I definitely enjoyed them enough to keep on reading.

Overall, Dreamland was a good enough read that brought something new to the YA market. I don't feel like it was in any way, shape or form a great read, but it was certainly good enough to keep my attention. One to check out, just don't rush to do it.

Book released 22nd September 2015 by HarperTeen

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Review: Life at the Speed of Us by Heather Sappenfield

Silence is safe. Fate is not.

When Sovern Briggs survives a car crash, she stops talking to seal in the memory of the final sounds from her mother’s life. As conflict with her father builds and failure in school looms, Sovern seeks relief in a dangerous boyfriend and in speed’s adrenaline edge. These needs collide, leading Sovern to a snowboarding accident that changes her future and perhaps that of our universe.

Life at the Speed of Us weaves dyslexia, math, cutting-edge science, genius, and love into a young woman’s reluctant journey toward grace.

Maybe I missed the point altogether, or maybe I just didn't read far enough to get to it.

My personal opinion is that if I can get a third through a book and not really get into it, I will allow myself to give up and post a DNF review, I know a lot of reviewers get squeamish about DNF reviews, but I do not. If I have given the book a fair trial and still find it guilty of not entertaining me, I see no harm in saying so.

Life at the Speed of Us was one of those books - I think I knew it was a DNF from 10% but I kept pushing and when I got to 35% and nothing was making sense and I had no idea of where this was going and didn't even like the characters, I gave up.

I felt that Sovern was a very boring main character and her internal monologue was honestly so annoying. The setting of the ski slopes was nice, but that isn't enough to make me want to read a book.

As I say with all DNF reviews though -so many people liked this book! Just go onto Goodreads and you will see all the 4/5 star reviews - they aren't wrong, neither am I - if this sounds like your thing give it a go, then tell me how you felt about it!

Overall Rating: DNF

Book released 8th January 2016 by Flux

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Review: Bluescreen by Dan Wells

Los Angeles in 2050 is a city of open doors, as long as you have the right connections. That connection is a djinni—a smart device implanted right in a person’s head. In a world where virtually everyone is online twenty-four hours a day, this connection is like oxygen—and a world like that presents plenty of opportunities for someone who knows how to manipulate it.

Marisa Carneseca is one of those people. She might spend her days in Mirador, the small, vibrant LA neighborhood where her family owns a restaurant, but she lives on the net—going to school, playing games, hanging out, or doing things of more questionable legality with her friends Sahara and Anja. And it’s Anja who first gets her hands on Bluescreen—a virtual drug that plugs right into a person’s djinni and delivers a massive, non-chemical, completely safe high. But in this city, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and Mari and her friends soon find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that is much bigger than they ever suspected.

Look! A hispanic main character, and double look - the girl on the cover actually looks hispanic and has a mechanical arm. It's almost a dream come true!

I think I am one of the few people who was let down by Partials - I read Partials and pushed myself into Fragments and that was so sluggish that I gave up on the series. When I requested Bluescreen I don't think I realise who the author was otherwise I may well have just not requested it at all. Thankfully, I did. I say thankfully because I really, really enjoyed Bluescreen. I was gripped from the start because of the gaming concept and despite the fact that there is quite a lot of build up before the Bluescreen 'drug' is introduced, I was really enjoying this world that Wells had created. I think part of my issue with Partials was how overly-detailed everything was and it was the same in this book except it added to this book, not detracted. I was absorbed into every aspect of Mari's world and I really enjoyed it.

Pace wise, I can't claim that this book is all go go go. There were some parts which dropped in pace and I had to push on because I knew it was going to get good, I think this book may have been a little longer than was necessary. For the most part though Bluescreen was fast paced, enjoyable and gripping. I actually found the action in the ending really gripping, but I think my favorite part is through the middle, when Mari is investigating the drug.

There are some... suggestions of romance. It isn't a big deal though. The guy who seemed a potential love interest (Saif) is a dealer of Bluescreen who joins Mari on her investigation but spoilery things happen that really throw a curveball in the works and nip that in the bud. Mari herself was a strong character though - she didn't need any man, besides - she has the Cherry Dogs, her gaming party who were like, such a brilliant supporting cast.

Overall, Bluescreen was an enjoyable book. My interest did decrease in parts but for the most part it was engaging and suspenseful and packed with action. I loved the world in this book. 

Book released 16th February 2016 by Balzer + Bray

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: The Unquiet by Mikaela Everett

For most of her life, Lirael has been training to kill—and replace—a duplicate version of herself on a parallel Earth. She is the perfect sleeper-soldier. But she’s beginning to suspect she is not a good person.

The two Earths are identical in almost every way. Two copies of every city, every building, even every person. But the people from the second Earth know something their duplicates do not—two versions of the same thing cannot exist. They—and their whole planet—are slowly disappearing. Lira has been trained mercilessly since childhood to learn everything she can about her duplicate, to be a ruthless sleeper-assassin who kills that other Lirael and steps seamlessly into her life.

The Unquiet is one of those books that can go two ways. It can either be loved, which a lot of people seem to have done, or it can fall into the category of 'meh' which it did for me.

In fact, this is a DNF review. It was too meh for me to get into.

After spending around a month trying to pick this book up and get into it, I gave up and DNF'ed this book at 40%. This is partly to do with the distinct lack of world building but also probably something to do with the fact that this book had a very floaty, lyrical narrative that some people will probably say was gorgeous prose but for me just seemed disconnected and boring.

Trust me. I wanted to like this book. I wanted to love it and I know a lot of people have loved this book. Just because I didn't doesn't mean that you won't.

However, I just didn't get into it for the above reasons.

Overall Rating: DNF at 40%

Book released 22nd September by Greenwillow Books

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Review: Blood, Ink & Fire by Ashley Mansour

Imagine a world without books…
In the future, books are a distant memory. The written word has been replaced by an ever-present stream of images known as Verity. In the controlling dominion of the United Vales of Fell, reading is obsolete and forbidden, and readers themselves do not—cannot—exist.
But where others see images in the stream, teenager Noelle Hartley sees words. She’s obsessed with what they mean, where they came from, and why they found her.

Noelle’s been keeping her dangerous fixation with words a secret, but on the night before her seventeenth birthday, a rare interruption in the stream leads her to a mysterious volume linked to an underworld of rebel book lovers known as the Nine of the Rising. With the help of the Risers and the beguiling boy Ledger, Noelle discovers that the words within her are precious clues to the books of the earlier time—and as a child of their bookless age, she might be the world’s last hope of bringing them back.

'Meh' is an apt word for this book. It was very meh. There were a lot of good things and a lot of bad things.

The book started well, I got the feel of Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky at the start and I was really absorbed in it, but by the time the second part came around (33%) I was sort of wishing the book was a lot shorter. Mansour was a great author, but the plot itself dragged for me, I wasn't absorbed in the romance (Ledger was an enigma and Noelle had very little development), it happened way too quickly I felt like the characters didn't have individual personalities and this made it difficult to connect with any of them.

I felt like there was quite a lot of infodumping - one of my pet peeves in YA books. I like when information comes to the reader naturally in a way that you barely even notice it's happening, not when it's thrown at you. 

In all, I think that Blood, Ink and Fire was a very slow read. I didn't really connect with the characters and I couldn't really engage in the story - there were a few plot holes as well that I just didn't get over.

Book released 1st December 2015 by Upturn Publishing

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: Boy 23 by Jim Carrington

Boy 23 isn't in My Place any more. He can't see The Screen, he can't hear The Voice. Boy 23 is alone.

One dark night, Boy 23 is thrown in the back of the van and driven out of My Place - the only home he has ever known. He is abandoned in a forest with a rucksack containing the bare essentials for survival. Before the van drives away, a voice tells him he must run as far as he can. His life depends on it. Boy 23 has never known another human. Boy 23 has never even been outside. So who is he? Why do people want to kill him? And more to the point, who is the voice that wants to save him? 

Sometimes, you'll find a book like Boy 23 which has such a unique feel to it that there are only two ways to take it: you can either really love it, or it can be such a big disappointment. For me, it was the latter.

I felt that the book had quite a lot to offer and I really was quite excited by the high pace that the book started with. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with Jesper, the main character, and the plot seemed very slow and draggy for the vast majority of the book that I'll admit, I was skimming. The language and slang used in the book made it quite difficult to be absorbed and this just added to my difficulties.

Overall, I didn't particularly enjoy reading Boy 23 - I finished it, but I skimmed a lot of it.

Book released 19th November 2015 by Bloomsbury

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Happy ever afters are like, the best thing ever, and there was no way that after investing myself in Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and even Winter's stories so much I was going to settle for anything less. I just need to read Fairest now, and yes I am completely obsessed with this series. Let me try and find coherent thoughts...

Okay, I think I've got it. Let's get onto the actual review. Now, Winter was actually my least favourite of the Lunar Chronicles, but I still loved it. The book is quite long and this meant that there was quite a bit in there that was quite irrelevant and repetitive. I also just didn't connect with Winter the same way I did the other girls so I didn't support her budding relationship with Jacin as much as I did the other romances in the series. On it's own, Winter was a good book, but comparing it to the others makes it seem a little less engaging.

Still, Meyer's writing is absolutely flawless and I just love what she brings to the genre. There's something totally original and engaging in her tone and the storylines are so well thought out and the way each individual storyline intertwines is so brilliant. I love how witty and individual each character and their dialogue was and despite the fact that Winter was a ittle underwhelming, I can't say it was a bad ending.

In fact, the end of Winter brought me to tears - I was so emotional because I have been so engaged in this series for so long and the ending brought me all of the things that I wanted to see. Awww, I'm getting teary eyed even thinking of it now!

Book released 10th November 2015 by Fiewel and Friends (US) and 12th November 2015 by Puffin (UK)

Book purchased by myself