Review: Madison K Trilogy by Nina Kaplan

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Disclaimer: I received these books through social media in exchange for an honest review.

Although I am writing a negative viewpoint this is an honest and a personal opinion. I do write some positives about this trilogy later on in this post and if you enjoy beauty & fashion I would still encourage you to give these a go.

The plot…doesn’t flow. It’s slow, even boring in places. It doesn’t have a clear start, middle & end and overall really let me down.

The characters…may be the best thing about this trilogy. They are likeable and easy to read about – but I still didn’t feel there was enough character building to feel thoroughly involved with them.

The writing…is where this book fell. It just doesn’t…read right. I remember even reading whole sentences and feeling like they had been repeated because…well, they had. There were honestly entire phrases and pieces of dialogue repeated (or at least very similar) throughout these books – which left me feeling disappointed and let down.

Not just that, but these are so clearly unedited. The dialogue is completely off and doesn’t flow like it should. There is bad spelling and grammar mistakes, simple things like the difference between you’re & your and to & too. Some of the sentences felt way too long and there were a few places that were completely missing commas and even question marks – so a question would read like a statement (“You okay” instead of “You okay?” is one I remember. One funny mistake I noticed was “Did you eat honey?” instead of “Did you eat, honey?”.

Some of the missing commas also made the sentences extremely long and drawn out – almost like rambling.

I also noticed (right from the first sentence) that these books are written in third person. Although this does work in places (as there are multiple viewpoints), it can read unprofessionally.

Overall – and very unfortunately -the writing in this trilogy mostly just infuriated me and made me want to do some serious editing.

Something I liked…well, it has to be the characters. I did like Madison although at times I felt annoyed by her random indecisiveness.

Something I didn’t like…is definitely the writing. As I said, it really made me annoyed.

My thoughts…are overall, very disappointed. I liked the concept but I just have way too many little niggles to like this trilogy. Saying this, once I got into the story (and used to the writing) I found it easy to read and found myself enjoying parts of it.

My rating is…


1.5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽


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ARC Review: South of Sunshine by Dana Elmendorf

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Discalimer: I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Release date: April 1st 2016
Synopsis: In Sunshine, Tennessee, the main event in town is Friday night football, the biggest party of the year is held in a field filled with pickup trucks, and church attendance is mandatory. For Kaycee Jean McCoy, life in Sunshine means dating guys she has no interest in, saying only “yes, ma’am” when the local bigots gossip at her mom’s cosmetics salon, and avoiding certain girls at all costs. Girls like Bren Dawson.
Unlike Kaycee, Bren doesn’t really conceal who she is. But as the cool, worldly new girl, nobody at school seems to give her any trouble. Maybe there’s no harm if Kaycee gets closer to her too, as long as she can keep that part of her life a secret, especially from her family and her best friend. But the more serious things get with Bren, the harder it is to hide from everyone else. Kaycee knows Sunshine has a darker side for people like her, and she’s risking everything for the chance to truly be herself.

I really enjoyed this book! I’ve read a few LGBTQA+ YA novels but none quite like this one. South of Sunshine conveys some very important messages in a great way, which I’ll talk about later in this post!

The plot…is really easy to read and follow. I couldn’t stop reading this book, and whenever I was away from my phone I would catch myself wondering what was going to happen next!

The characters…were actually really relatable. I was concerned that as a straight girl I would find this hard to read and relate to, but it didn’t change my veiws of the novel at all!

The writing…was also easy to read, and perfect for this type of light-hearted romance.

Something I liked…is the clear message this book gives that ‘You don’t have to be gay to have gay pride‘. This is honestly something I hold very close to my heart, and I found it really meaningful.

Something I didn’t like…I’d have to be really picky to find something – but probably the fact that in a few places I found like the book had suddenly jumped. Like the sentences didn’t flow perfectly. It was only a couple of times, but I did notice it.

My thoughts…South of Sunshine is an incredibly moving and undeniably touching novel. I found it sweet but tough – this book will definitely be making a stand for LGBT rights! Although the amount of conflict due to Kaycee’s relationship with Bren shocked me slightly, it angered me more than anything. It is so right that this book, along with much more gay-pride arising in real life and online, we need to fight back for the LGBTQA+ community.

Whether we’re straight or not, we are all the same people inside.

My rating is…


4 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽


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SIDENOTE: ALL TIME LOW WERE AWESOME LAST NIGHT! Just needed to get that out there…they played some amazing stuff, even some of their old songs (COFFEE SHOP SOUNDTRACK ANYONE?!) which I was extremely pleased about! I just want to be back there right now already please!! I’m still feeling the hype 😀

 

Review: The Love That Split The World by Emily Henry

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Edition: Hardcover, 400 pages, published January 26th 2016 by Razorbill
Synopsis: Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start…until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a pre-school where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.
That’s when she gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.

I just finished this book and oh my life. It is so freaking incredible.

The plot…is more amazing than words could ever say. Suspensful, but still so deep and beautiful. This book managed to create a bridge between suspense, action and one of the best love stories I’ve ever read.

The characters…are beautiful. Relatable but also admirable in a sense that they are very different to the average person. The perfect balance!

The writing…is unexplainable. Henry has this immense talent of connecting the normal bookworm with this world, one that I could not even begin to define.

Something I liked…I’m actually really struggling to point a certain thing out, because all of the different things in this book tie it together to make it what it is. If you’re forcing me, though…of course it’s Beau! Oh, and the ending. It’s just so…perfect.

Something I disliked…hahaha the thought of trying to answer that question is simply hilarious.

My rating is…


5 out of 5 moons
I would give it so much more if I could!

Alas, my dear reader, I am struggling to come to the end of this review. I just have so much more to say, so much more rambling to spurt out about this beauty.

So I will leave this post with two notes. One is the following letter to this fabulous author. Although I massively doubt this will ever reach Emily Henry, I can only wish and hope – either way I needed to get this out there somewhere!

Dear Emily Henry,

You gave me a gift in The Love That Split The World. You gave me my favourite book of 2016 so far, and one I’m sure will reach my list of top 5 at the end of the year.

But not just that…you gave me love, you gave me hope. You made me feel as though I was being cleansed by the light of a thousand silver stars falling over me like rain.

You made me feel incredible. You made me feel alive.

And that, as a reader, is everything I could ever hope for.

For that, I thank you more than a thousand words could ever say. More than the brightest star could ever express. The only thing I could ever change would be this review – I wish I could make it as beautiful as your book…but right now, that feels impossible.

The second is this beautiful quote. It is one I’ve known for a while but only started to mean more to be the second I finished this book – this is literally the first thing I thought of when I read those amazing final words.


-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽


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Review: Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness

Edition: Paperback, published 2008-2010 by Walker
Synopsis: Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him — something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn’t she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd’s gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

Omg. I literally just finished this trilogy (a few minutes ago) and oh my. I’ve only just stopped crying (the good kind).

What a series. What. A. Series.

Honestly…better than The Hunger Games for me. And that is a massive statement.

The plot…is outstanding. Suspensful, intruiging but with so many underlying meanings, it’s just unbelievable. There is no filling out, no unnecessary parts at all. Everything is perfectly in place for the book to just…flow.

Oh, and one other thing. So many plot twists. Seriously, if you’re going to read this series, buy them all at once. Because if you don’t….you’ll literally be tearing your hair out waiting for the next book, because big cliffhangers here people!

The characters…are so well written and fitting for the story. All of them, every single one, are really needed.

The writing….is one of a kind. A different style than I’ve ever seen before, but that’s the really good thing about it.

Something I liked…is this entire trilogy. Omg. But actually, I’m surprised to say – the ending. It holds so much hope, so much emotion, so much meaning…more than I ever thought mere words could carry.

Something I disliked…was at the very start of The Knife of Never Letting Go, the langauge. Todd, the main character, uses certain words, such as ‘yerself’ instead of ‘yourself’. And for that first chapter, I thought I wouldn’t be able to get used to it. How wrong was I? These books wouldn’t be the same without it.

What I’m feeling right now…is indescribable. Like my heart has just been torn and smashed to pieces, but also all warm and soft like a marshmallow. I feel so mixed up, so amazed and outstanded at the pure skill that is Patrick Ness. The pure…power.

My rating is…


5 out of 5 moons
Without a doubt.

You need to read this trilogy. There is nothing more to say on the matter.

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽


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Review: A Bitter Pill to Swallow by Tiffany Gholar

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Edition: Paperback, 330 pages, published January 20th 2016

Disclaimer: I reviewed this book on behalf of Tiffany Gholar, the author. I received a paperback copy in return for an honest review.

The plot…is solid, definite and perfect for the book. Although there is not much action, there is definitely enough plot-twists to keep it interesting!

The characters…were really interesting. I loved Janina, one of the main characters, and I felt I could relate to her in some ways. I found it absolutely outstanding that Gholar has so much skill to make so many characters understandable to the reader.

The writing…is really good, and not just that, but clever. The thing I found the most amazing is the change in writing with each character. This book has several POV & is written is several tenses, and this book is possibly the first I’ve read that not only writes that extremely well, but celebrates it.

Something I liked…is the plot-twist with Janina. I will say no more, people! You better read this book to find out! I found it not only really interesting, but perfect for the plot.

Something I disliked…I don’t know…I’m trying to be find something to critisize, but I don’t think I can’t! And I’m not even just saying that!

My rating is…


5 out of 5 moons

Honestly, I felt like I could really relate to this book, and because of that I really enjoyed it. I also really appreciated the writing and the research that must have gone in to making this novel what it is.

If you have suffered any sort of mental illness, diagnosed or not, or know someone that has, I really believe you should read this book.

Because it’s not just a book – it’s a life lesson.

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽


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Review: The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

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This book has been on my TBR for a while, so I was thrilled when I received it for Christmas through a bookstagram secret santa! I finally got round to reading it the other day, and absolutely sped through it.

The plot…although quite simple (if you only count the two main characters) was weaved together by intricate twists and poetic writing – which although fluffs out the novel, is not unnecessary.

The characters…were very, very written and also extremely clever. I loved the main character, Shazi, and I found it perfect to be written mainly from her point of view, although the different POV really helped the book.

The writing…is really what makes the book. It enables a partly fantasy-filled word to really come to life. I also found the pages literally flying by…I just wanted to find out what was going to happen, get to Shazi’s next part of writing.

Something I liked…specifically, has to be Shazi. I just really liked her, and found I could relate to her personality and way of thinking.

Something I didn’t like…oh gosh. I don’t think I can actually find anything. Everything was…perfect. If you haven’t read this, you need to!

My rating is…


5 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽


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Review: All Together Now by Gill Hornby

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This book wasn’t amazing, outstanding or even close to extra-ordinary. But that’s okay. That’s more than okay – because it’s totally what this lovely little book is about.

This book is happy, uplifting and full of joy. And even though it may not be the most popular book in the world, it is definitely important. And I’m so glad I read it.

The plot…was solid. It had a good beginning, middle and end. It was strong, confident and definite.

The characters…were simple but sweet. Perfect for the book.

The writing…is charming. The first but most appropriate word that comes to mind. It is, again, not amazing. But it works – and that’s the most important thing!

Something I liked…is the community vibe. Honestly, if you grew up in a small village/town in the UK, this book is one for you. This entire book is based around community and how important it is, and I really agree with that.

Something I didn’t like…was at the start, the character changes. I’m not against different POV, but they’re just not clearly defined. I honestly like to have a name for each person against their chapters. But this book just didn’t make it obvious enough for me.

My rating is…


3.5 out of 5 Moons

Sorry for the slightly rushed review, everyone! I have an exam tomorrow and I need to get some studying in later after seeing Emma, so wish me luck!

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽


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Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Edition: Hardcover, 465 pages, published September 29th 2015 by Henry Holt and Company

Synopsis: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

Kaz’s crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

I have read this book with the Book Bloggers Unite! Book club, run by me, Emma and Sophie. Want to join? Find out more here!

The plot…at first, was really, really confusing. I didn’t understand the characters or the plot. But after around the first half, it really picked up. It was extremely thrilling and full of intriguing plot twists!

The characters…as I said above, were at first, extremely confusing. The book is written in alternate chapters, written from the viewpoint of 6 different people. But Leigh has got skills, and she pulls this off (eventually).

The writing…is very good. Not outstanding, and a little confusing, but still amazing. I love the world Leigh managed to create, a world of intruiging heists and interesting people. Beautiful, in a way.

Something I liked…is actually the alternating character viewpoints. It was really nice to see inside the minds of not only one or two people, but six. And not only that, but to be able to pull it off! I really look up to Leigh for that.

Something I didn’t like…was the entire first half of the book. Unfortunately, I just didn’t see the…point. I suppose it was needed for character building, but the first half is told without the characters actually being together, which just doesn’t really make sense. Luckily, the second half – surprisingly but very impressively – completely made up for this.

The book as an object…wow. This is not something I’d normally talk about, sometimes I’ll mention a cover, but this entire book is…so beautiful. I just can’t not mention it!

For a start, the cover is amazing. But not just that, the slipcover feels really weird. Weird in a good way, it’s sort of…soft but rough – and unlike any other book I own. Under the slipcover, the hardcover is really soft, and has a little crow on it.

Also, the spine is beautiful – the dark red lettering against the smooth black is just so lovely. But not just these things…the book is just…really something. It is bigger than normal paperbacks, but there is something really special about that. You are forced to hold it in your lap, and really feel the weight and size of the book as a whole. It makes it an experience.

As well as all of this, the book has black tinted pages on the edges, which softens into the white on the edge of every single page.

But the thing that really got me? Something so unique, it actually surpised me. The font. It’s the same as the cover, but smaller. And I didn’t expect to like it, but I loved it.

My rating is…

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽

4 of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽


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You may also be interested in: Crooked Kingdom Review


Review: The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick

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Edition: Hardcover, 304 pages, published April 10th 2014 by Picador
Synopsis: For thirty-eight years, Bartholomew Neil has lived with his mother. When she gets sick and dies, he has no idea how to be on his own. His redheaded grief counselor, Wendy, says he needs to find his flock and leave the nest. But how does a man whose whole life has been grounded in his mom, Saturday mass, and the library learn how to fly?

The plot…was solid and effective. It provided a good base for the story, but didn’t involve a great deal of action or other extraordinary feats to make it unique or exquisite.

The characters…were simple. Unfortunately, I found the characters didn’t have much depth or character building of any sort. They did the job, but I think I would have preferred the book with better (and more in depth) descriptions.

The writing…was also simple. Maybe I’m missing something here, but I can’t find much to say about the writing. It did the job for the book, and I found it easy to read, but there was nothing to make it… exciting.

Something I liked…it’s hard to pick out one thing – maybe the settings? I have to admit, Quick did describe beauty quite well, and the settings are quite easy to picture.

Something I didn’t like…the simplicity. It just didn’t show great depths in any areas, something I believe is quite important for a novel. I also didn’t like the way Bartholomew, as the main character, wrote and came across as a child. Yes, even I feel like I’m missing the point here, but I just found him…immature. Especially for the main character of an adult book.

Overall…I was really disappointed. Although I hadn’t read any other writing by Matthew Quick, I have heard great things about The Silver Linings Playbook – so I have to admit I had high expectations. The entire book was just pretty mediocre. Yes, there were a few little things I enjoyed, and I’m still glad I read it, but this is definitely not one of the best books I’ve read.

My rating is…

☽ ☽
2.5 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Email: thebooksareeverywhere@hotmail.com
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Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

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Edition: 457 pages, published May 7th 2013 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Synopsis: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother–or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

This has been sat on my shelf for a while. And by a while, I mean since September. Oops.

To tell the truth, I was putting it off. Not only is it of a genre I normally don’t read, it’s also 457 pages long. I’ve read longer, but it does still seem quite daunting – right?

But then, it always seems to be the ones that you put off for so long that end up being the best…

The plot…has so many twists and turns. I was actually shocked I could keep on my toes and follow the entire time. I guess that depends on the writing and character building. I felt like I could see what was happening, to the point of almost gagging and a couple of gruesome parts!

The characters…are very well built. Honestly, I felt so close to Cassie and I really felt her pain, her happiness, her sadness. But mostly, her pain. It was extremely vivid.

The writing…is extraordinary. I know, I know – I say this a lot. But this one put other books to shame – even one’s I’ve also rated 5 moons.

I have to really admire Rick for the amazing creation of this…parallel universe, I guess. One identical to the one we know today, but completely different is so many ways. The writing really makes that vivid, and understandable.

Something I liked…is the short chapters. Not only did it make the book more managable, but it also made the pages seem like they were turning themselves. This is a rating on the back of the book (about the turning pages thing), which at first I didn’t understand. Pages turning themselves? What?

Well, this was explained as soon as I started reading. It takes so little time to read just a chapter, you just want to keep carrying on reading. And there really is no other way to describe it – the pages really do turn themselves.

Something I disliked…has to be the sudden character changes by section. Every 10-50 pages (or so) there was a change in POV, and suddenly the book was being written by another character. There wasn’t any issues with this – it gave the book a good edge – it just took a page (or 5) to realise who had started telling the next part, and then get into the new writing.

My rating is…


5 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Email: thebooksareeverywhere@hotmail.com
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