Review: The Shadow Behind the Stars by Rebecca Hahn

Chloe is the youngest. Hers are the fingers that choose the wool, that shape the thread, that begin it. The sun smiles upon her. Men love her without knowing who she is. She has lived forever and will live forever more. She and her sisters have been on their isolated Greek island for centuries, longer than any mortal can remember. They spin, measure, and slice the countless golden threads of human life. They are the three Fates, and they have stayed separate for good reason: it is dangerous for them to become involved with the humans whose lives they shape.

So when a beautiful girl named Aglaia shows up on their doorstep, Chloe tries to make sure her sisters don’t become attached. But in seeking to protect them, Chloe discovers the dark power of Aglaia’s destiny. As her path unwinds, the three Fates find themselves pulled inextricably along—toward mortal pain, and mortal love, and a fate that could unravel the world.

The Shadow Behind the Stars was one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. It was written in a way that mythology books need to be - lyrical, gorgeous and enthralling. The storyline itself was also all of those things, and I am a sucker for books that dare to be different - this was one of them.

The book follows Chloe, one of the three fates and her sisters in their journey to save the world in a way... it isn't their story though, it's Aglaia's - our narrator is actually just an observer. I really dn't know how to describe it, but it worked. The reason it works so well is because we come to care for Aglaia as Chloe does, so this makes everything feel more authentic. 

The book is simple and does feel slow paced, but it feels like it worked. There are some moments when the pace picks up and I will admit that for a lot of the last 20% of the book, I didn't always know what was going on. That being said, Chloe doesn't, so it also sort of works.

I think there are some readers that will struggle with the tone and pacing of The Shadow Behind the Stars and that's understandable - if you want things to happen this isn't the book for you. if you're looking for lyrical prose and something that feels like something special, give this book a go. I don't think it's for everyone, but it definitely worked for me.

Book released September 1st by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

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

Review: Stranded by Melinda Braun

Plagued with guilt after surviving the car accident that took her sister’s life, Emma ventures into the rugged and mysterious wilderness of the Boundary Waters in search of some much needed peace. But when a freak windstorm kills her guide, Emma and a handful of other campers are forced to fend for themselves. Lost, hungry, and exhausted, the small group must rely on their survival instincts as they travel through the forest towards Lake Superior.

But the Boundary Waters is vast and unpredictable, and as the days drag on, it becomes clear that the group is no match for what Mother Nature has in store—and time is running out.

As they continue to battle the elements, Emma realizes that nature isn’t her only threat: there’s one camper who will do whatever it takes to make it out of the Boundary Waters alive. Even if he’s the only one…

Stranded was a clear DNF. I made the decision about 30% into the book when I realised that no matter how much I pushed it through it just wasn't getting any better.

For that reason, this is going to be a pretty short review.

I felt like this book was just event-event-event and there was absolutely no time for me to actually care about what was going on. I found the whole thing implausible and it was meant to be this really atmospheric, heart-pounding read and instead it felt stagnant, emotionless and unbearably boring. I can't even think of any of the character's names, even after reading a third of it and even the writing and narration was stodgy...

Overall Rating: DNF

Book released August 25th by Simon Pulse

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

Review: City of Fae by Pippa DaCosta

From the moment Alina touches London's hottest fae superstar, breaking one of the laws founded to protect all of her kind, her fate – and the fae – close in.

Below ground, the fae High Queen plots to claim the city as her own and places her pawns, ready for the battle to come. A battle she cannot lose, but for one small problem – Alina. There are four ancient keepers powerful enough to keep the queen in her prison. Three are dead. One remains … And to fight back, Alina risks sacrificing everything she has come to love.

I've never really been into the whole New Adult thing, but the idea of City of Fae was just too good for me to deny. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would, it was actually a really absorbing storyline even if the pace was slow at times and some of the story was difficult to keep up with - especially after the big reveal when things got a little confusing and convoluted. Despite this, City of Fae still managed to keep me absorbed.

I think that what really sets this book apart from other faerie books is the way that the fae exist in this modern day world - people are aware of their existence and our main guy, Reign, is a famous rockstar fae. It meant that our main character, Alina, is learning new things but their existence isn't a big surprise for her.

I really loved Alina, she develops so much throughout this book from headstrong but a little nervous and shy to this kick-ass heroine. She has an understandable existential crisis later in the book but deals with it. Yes, she makes some bad moves as the plot develops but she is still pretty likeable. Our pretty boy bad boy Reign is also pretty awesome -I've heard him descried as a Fae Christian Grey but I totally disagree with that - Reign is actually pretty heroic and caring - and I definitely enjoyed their developing relationship.

The plot itself wasn't anything brand new in the realms of fae books, but I still found myself absorbed and loving it, so it wasn't too bad The end, as mentioned before, did get a bit rushed and confusing, but this wasn't too big a deal. Maybe it could have done with being paced out a bit better but I still was hooked.

Overall, City of Fae was an absorbing read with a plot which wasn't massively original but did have me hooked. I loved the characters and would still recommend it to fans of paranormal books.

Book released 7th May by Bloomsbury Sparks

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

Review: The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen

Don’t get mad, get even!

In the small town of Ranburne, high school football rules and the players are treated like kings. How they treat the girls they go to school with? That’s a completely different story. Liv, Peyton, Melanie Jane, and Ana each have their own reason for wanting to teach the team a lesson—but it’s only when circumstances bring them together that they come up with the plan to steal the one thing the boys hold sacred. All they have to do is beat them at their own game.

When I first picked up The Revenge Playbook, I didn't really know what to expect. To sum it up, here is my short blurb for the book: Four girls who each have a reason to be angry at the town's so-called 'golden boys'; the star football players, get even by sabotaging an annual team tradition, and find themselves in the process.

It was a solid good book, it was relatable, dealing with real-life issues such as slut-shaming and doube standards in an effective, realistic way. The characters were diverse and realistic, each one had their reasons for doing what they were doing, even the boys on the team! I genuinely felt that I really connected with all of the characters and that it really sold the message it was trying to sell.

The thing is, The Revenge Playbook isn't just a sassy, fun book. There are parts of the storyline which really hit me in the feels. Ana, for example, has a past which isn't all rosy and happy. I had so much heartbreak for her at times and I loved how the plot unravelled for her.

Overall, The Revenge Playbook  was a fun and exciting exploration into girl power and the double standards that all girl have to live with and thoroughly enjoyed it. Rachael Allen is definitelu one to watch in the contemporary scene!

Book released 16th June by HarperTeen

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

Review: The Leveller by Julia Durango

Nixy Bauer is a self-made Leveller. Her job? Dragging kids out of virtual reality and back to their parents in the real world. It’s normally easy cash, but Nixy’s latest mission is fraught with real danger, intrigue, and romance.

Nixy Bauer is used to her classmates being very, very unhappy to see her. After all, she’s a bounty hunter in a virtual reality gaming world. Kids in the MEEP, as they call it, play entirely with their minds, while their bodies languish in a sleeplike state on the couch. Irritated parents, looking to wrench their kids back to reality, hire Nixy to jump into the game and retrieve them.

But when the game’s billionaire developer loses track of his own son in the MEEP, Nixy is in for the biggest challenge of her bounty-hunting career. Wyn Salvador isn’t some lazy kid looking to escape his homework: Wyn does not want to be found. And he’s left behind a suicide note. Nixy takes the job but quickly discovers that Wyn’s not hiding—he’s being held inside the game against his will. But who is holding him captive, and why?

Nixy and Wyn attempt to fight their way out of a mind game unlike any they’ve encountered, and the battle brings them closer than either could have imagined. But when the whole world is virtual, how can Nixy possibly know if her feelings are real?

I have played a lot of MMORPGs in my life. I like to think I'm a bit of an aficionado there, so that's why I was so excited about The Leveller. Unfortunately, it just did not work for me, not at all. This MEEP game is the main point of the book, but I didn't feel like it as  where was the technology, the world building, the explanations? Why is Nixy this amazing character when she has all the cheat codes from her Mum? I just didn't get it, the book didn't click with me, and I was not engaged in any of the characters.

I thought Nixy was going to be this super badass character, she's meant to be the best at the game, but she was just too good  she easily gets through trials that other people have failed at even though she can't use her cheat codes there. The thing is, we don't get amazing explanations about how she achieves these feats so for me it was all just too convenient. I couldn't connect with her. I also couldn't connect to Wynn, none of the characters really promoted themselves to me.

I think it had absolutely amazing potential and some parts were great, like the bit about Wynn's dad and the risks to those playing on MEEP, I really enjoyed those bits. For the most part though, I didn't really enjoy The Leveller. I didn't really feel anything for it.

Book released 23rd June by HarperCollins

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

Review: The It-Girl by Katy Birchall

Everybody wants to be a famous It Girl. Don't they?

Anna Huntley's aims in life:

1) Must keep my two lovely new (and only) school friends by not doing anything in usual manner of socially inept dork and outcast.

2) Train Dog (my labrador) to high-five. This is probably the most ambitious life goal on this list.

3) Do not set the school's Deputy Queen Bee mean girl's hair on fire (again).

4) Work out whether 2) and 3) constitute being socially inept or outcastish.

5) Go to Africa and give out rice.

6) To hide in a cupboard FOR LIFE with Dog now Dad is engaged to one of the most famous actresses EVER, the paparazzi want to spash my face all over the papers and everyone in school (and The World) is soon to discover the level of my social ineptitude.

7) Is rice a bit done now? Maybe I can give out chocolate in Africa too. I do like chocolate. Must work out how to do it from the cupboard...

This is such a quirky book for tweens and teens, and even those of us in our early twenties who love to read these super fun contemporary, taking a break from my boring reality type books.

Anna is your typical, everyday, slightly dorky teenager, her life is pretty boring. She has her typical adolescent worries, like boys, and avoiding the queen bee at school. Her life was fun to read about and it just gets even more fun when her dad gets engaged to the biggest actress in the world. She's thrust into the spotlight and now everyone wants to know her. I loved how she reacted to all of this, and all of the funny things that she goes through.

Anna goes through growth as a person, adding some depth to a book that doesn't really need it but does benefit from it. I'm not saying that this book is a deep read or anything surprising or amazingly amazing, but it made me giggle and I really loved it for that.

It's often so necessary to have a book like The It-Girl if you review YA books - most are pretty dark and heavy and dramatic.

Book released 7th May by Egmont

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

Review: Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—as every good adventure begins—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he's a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that calls to mind The Night Circus and Pixar movies, but is wholly its own.

I get the idea that Illusionarium is a Marmite type of book. Is that just a British reference? Errm... the general idea is that you either like it or dislike it. For me, it was the latter, but I can definitely understand why people would love it.

For me, Illusionarium lacked some serious development - things moved much faster than my brain so I spent the majority of this book trying to play catch up. The plot was great and the world building was brilliant, but there was a lot happening in a short period of time and I didn't massively like having to try and catch up and reread to find out what I had missed.

I did like the characters - Jonathan, Hannah, even Divinity, but I felt like Jonathan made silly moves at some times that made me doubt his role as the lead, and his ability to create Illusions comes out of nowhere, he was like a male Mary Sue at times.

For me, Illusionarium wasn't awful, but it wasn't anywhere near memorable for me. 

Book released 19th May by Greenwillow 

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