Hey everyone!

Today’s post is about a book that always seemed like such a big deal in the YA world to me.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is a YA High Fantasy Novel set in the nation of Ravka. This once great country, that is largely reminiscent of imperial Russia, is fighting a war on all sides and to make matters worse has been plagued by a deadly darkness that cuts the kingdom in half. Known as the Shadow Fold or the Unsea by the Ravkan people, the barren blackness strikes fear in the hearts of all and Alina is no exception. In a world where the Grisha, those who posses special magical talents, are revered she has always felt extraordinarily ordinary, that is until she discovers a secret about herself that could save the whole of Ravka and change her world forever.

A lot of people are divided on this book but after finally getting around to reading it myself I can definitely save I’m in the ‘this was pretty great’ camp.

Leigh Bardugo is known across the literary lands for her sultry and sardonic grasp on words and this book does not disappoint. Ravka is rich and bulging with its own feeling of culture and history. Bardugo cleverly drops hints all throughout the chapters that add to the sense that outside the events that Alina is involved in there is a whole world waiting. From the occasional ravkan word to the intricate descriptions of traditional ravkan food and clothing, there is a genuine sense across the whole narrative that this world has clearly been thought through.

I was one of the odd people who actually read Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom before starting this trilogy and it was certainly nice to fill in some of the gaps that people warned me would exist if I missed out Shadow and Bone. The characters were all complex and wholly refreshing. Alina’s love triangle had just enough melodrama to be interesting but not too much to be cringey. Even the descriptions of the settings in the book such as the capital Os Alta and the Little Palace were so completely enthralling and interesting that I could never put it down.

And the plot? Wow

I would recommend this book a thousand times over and I can’t wait to get my hands on the other two instalments in the trilogy.

I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth.

Hey everyone!

This week i’m going to be reviewing a book I read a while ago which I wish I never read at all.

Circus of the Unseen by Joanne Owen is a YA magical realism novel about Rosie, a girl who, after an accident at her grandmother’s house slips into another world where nothing is quite right and nobody is safe to trust. This story follows a cast of carnivalesque characters who all live out their lives in the sinister Circus without any hope of leaving. Yet this is all Rosie wants to do. In her quest to get home Rosie must find herself, discover who her grandmother really was and try to uncover the secrets of a Circus that has always remained unseen.

The premise of this book was so so promising and the world itself was actually quite beautiful. Owen believably crafts this dark and elusive elsewhere that is rich with a character and history. Going into this book I was sure I would love it: Who doesn’t love other worlds and sinister circus acts?

Sadly my hopes for this story were not met. I am not in the belief that any one book is truly terrible or ‘bad’ but the Circus of the Unseen possesses such an odd and poorly planned plot that at no point during my reading of it could I ever find myself fully immersed or fully addicted. It is a great shame that Owen’s writing of the plot was such a downfall because otherwise I think the unique ideas behind COTU and it’s gothic world could’ve made this book a winner. The writing did not live up to my expectations: the narrative was poorly paced and all of the characters felt flat. The worst of it was how unexplained Rosie’s situation seemed to be at all times. As a result of this I never found myself caring about what happened to them either way.

The whole story although unique in Rosie’s slipping into another world was just that – unique. Past it’s originality the book didn’t have the literary skill to make it anything more.

Sadly I would not recommend this book

I give it a 1 out of 5 stars.

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth.

Hey guys!

It’s that time of the year again when summer slowly and then quickly begins to slip away and everyone begins to go back to their actual lives. Some people hate the change in weather or the going back to school but I think we should embrace it! Plus, rainy days are the best kind for reading.

This week i’m going to talk about a book that really is as good as it’s title makes it out to be.

The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock is a young adult short novel that follows Ruth, Dora, Alyce and Hank – four teens who are each struggling with the shifting state that their lives are in. Ruth only wants to be remembered by a Mother who forgot. Alyce is locking away her future to please her parents. Dora wishes she could hide forever from her abusive father and Hank and his brothers are running from a family home that doesn’t want them anymore. Set in the gritty and nostalgic backdrop of 1970s Alaska, this story is about hope, love, pain and family.

This book is completely different to anything I have ever read before. Hitchcock’s execution of the winding and well crafted plot is so seamless that the book simply drips with realism.

One of my favourite elements of the story is the effort Hitchcock puts into the culture and landscape of her characters. TSOOPHs touches lightly on the statehood that Alaska faced in the late 50s yet the feelings of resentment and strife are present all throughout. These emotions represent an ethos at the time felt by many who didn’t want to lose their traditional way of life. This issue along with others raised such as the discrimination Alaskan natives faced educated me immensely on topics I didn’t even know existed. It is a massive credit to Hitchcock’s talent that she is able to weave such an addictive and adventurous story that is also able to enlighten the reader all within under 300 pages.

The tone and general feel of the book possessed that intangible and rare quality that makes you feel nostalgic and reminiscent of another life despite never reading the story before. It was a genuine treat to experience such a rich cast of characters each with their own problems that were explored just the right amount through the alternating four chapter layout Hitchcock follows.

A final point that must be made, aside from the writers beautiful use of words, is her ability to see the bigger picture at all times and, as a result of that, amalgamate a tale that offers hidden easter eggs and those light bulb moment links that pull each of the character’s individual adventures together in a warming and intelligent way.

If would recommend The Smell Of Other People’s Houses highly and consider it as one of the best books I have read this year.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth

Hi fellow readers!

I hope you are all enjoying the weather we’re having at the moment (if it’s sunny where you are).

This week’s post is about I book I finished only a few days ago but has been on my Tbr for what feels like forever.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is young adult dystopian novel that follows Ruby: a sixteen year old girl who at the age of ten was abducted from her family and taken to a camp for other ‘special’ children just like her. Just months before Ruby was taken away millions of children started to mysteriously die across the whole of America, the cause: a deadly disease that left those who were immune with strange powers. The government, afraid of these children that they couldn’t control sent them to camps just like Ruby. She has spent her whole life trapped and afraid of who she is until now. Because Ruby is free and she wants to find out how to tame the monster she always thought she was.

Wow. I actually haven’t enjoyed anything as much as TDM for so long that I almost forgot what it felt like to be addicted to a book. The only annoying part about my experience with this story is that I didn’t read it sooner.

The uniqueness of this book is what I feel makes it so special, but also it has, to some degree, be down to Bracken’s simple talent with words. The plot is weaved in such a delicate and intriguing way that all throughout we are left with burning questions about the dystopian and seemingly reminiscent world that we learn of. The movement of this book is just fast enough that you’re never bored but also not so fast that it’s over before it has already begun and teens with superpowers? Seriously YES. The ending is also perfect and deadly to all readers so be aware!

I’ll talk quickly about the characters because I don’t want you to waste your time reading this review when you could be getting out there and getting your hands on this book! Ruby is cleverly crafted in a way that makes you constantly feel sorry for her but also feel kind of annoyed at her for not simply embracing who she is. It’s like this weird internal battle that Bracken forces you into whilst reading but I can’t say I ever complained. The relationship Bracken builds between Ruby and the friends she meets along the way is not only believable (because more often than not in YA, protagonists manage to make insta-friends with every character in the book) but also genuinely heart warming. I respect that the author placed obstacles in the way of Ruby’s friendship with Chubs because it gives the narrative a life like feel. The romance in TDM is very fluffy and cute and I didn’t even mind because it really felt like these two people would really have connected. I will not spoil, but one word- Clancy?!

The ultimate and obvious question is: would I recommend this book? The answer is a clear and beautiful YES.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth

Hey everyone!
For all of the students out there I hope your A Level/College results went well and good luck to all the GCSE students receiving theirs this week.

Todays post is about a book which I’ve wanted to read for a very long time.

The Haters by Jesse Andrews is a YA Contemporary novel following three unique teens on the summer tour of a lifetime. Corey and Wes are band geeks who have decided to spend their summer at one of the most respected (and probably only) jazz camps in America. Their enthusiasm to actually attend begins to fade when they arrive and find out its basically full of weird jazz band geeks (which was to be expected at a jazz summer camp). Their luck begins to change however when they met Ash, a mysterious and talented guitar player and singer-songwriter who also happens to be one of the only girls at the whole camp. After jamming out and discovering their collective talent as a trio the three quickly decide to ditch their summer plans and set out on a tour across the states performing to anyone who will listen and finding out what it truly means to be in a band and to be a Hater.

Jesse Andrews, for those who don’t know already, wrote one of my favourite books of all time – Me, Earl and the Dying Girl. As such, going into The Haters, I was nervous that their would be some great downfall as often it can prove to be impossible to live up to the heights of a book that is already so successful.

Luckily, on the whole, I was not let down.

The plot was fresh enough that it didn’t feel too overdone or samey yet it was also comfortable and warming going into it knowing that I had a whole road trip ahead of me- who doesn’t love a good road trip book? Andrews always has a unique way of painting the picture of and presenting what it means to be young and I think this book is a great credit to that. The Haters is unapologetically raw and real, uncut and honest and as a result is able to describe the teenage condition in a way that is not only accurate but also beautiful. From the dialogue between the characters to Andrews’ tongue and cheek prose I think the story conveys a very whimsical and addictive grittiness that hooks you in and immerses you in the trials and tribulations of the cast.

The characters certainly make this story and I would wholeheartedly say that this is a character-driven narrative. The whole book is told through Wes’ perspective which provided an interesting insight into the events that unfolded but also supported the notion that these characters had a past and a present and a future. Some of the anecdotes  Wes recalls felt real enough that they could very easily be passed off as memories rather than paragraphs of fiction. In his use of Wes as a device for story telling Andrews enhances the fabric of the world he has created and as a results produces a higher quality and easier to read book.

The last thing that needs to be mentioned, which is perhaps the only fall of this book but is a big fall nonetheless, is the humour. Me, Earl and the Dying Girl is notorious across the YA lands for being one of the funniest books out there. I read it on a flight from America in one sitting and genuinely laughed out loud the entire time (the people sitting next to me almost certainly thought I was crazy). It is unfair to compare the Haters to MEATDG but I’m going to do it anyway. Sadly this book did not reach the comical heights of its predecessor. Maybe it is because it lacks the dark juxtaposition that MEATDG possesses which allows it to be so wrong but so right or maybe its simply that the plot calls naturally for less humour but truly I did not laugh out loud once whilst reading this book. I think this point, although small, definitely brought my rating of The Haters down considerably.

I would recommend this book to you all because it is good at doing what it does – which is provide you with some easy entertainment that feels exciting and real. Is it the next I’ll Give You The Sun or Mosquitoland? No alas, it is not.

I give this book a 3.8 out of 5 stars

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth.

Hi guys,

I want to start off by apologising for my absence last week. I was in the Lake District and Wifi there is basically nonexistent!

Anyways this week I want to talk to you all about a book I mentioned in my last post and book haul.

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch is a YA High Fantasy novel that imagines a world where countries are divided by the Seasons and the Rhythms. The eight kingdoms of Primoria each posses a magical conduit, items which were forged in a great chasm of magic by the first leaders of the continent before the well was lost forever. Each kingdom uses their piece of power to make their country strong and their people prosperous. So when Winter’s conduit was broken in two, their Queen assassinated and their people enslaved by Spring, Winter’s few remaining survivors face a task so completely impossible that most would give up. Meira is different. Whisked from Winter as a baby in the wake of Spring’s attack, Meira has never felt the cold of her country but still mourns for her people and all that they have lost. In this action packed story following a feisty heroine and her plot to save her world nothing is ever quite what it seems.

I would like to start by saying that the premise of this book is very refreshing despite it’s obvious parallels to ACOTAR (territories divided up by the seasons? Sounds pretty familiar). I would also like to note that Raasch was the first to create a world based on these rules (As far as I know) so we can basically ignore any comparisons to SJ Mass’ book because they are entirely different plots written about entirely different people at entirely different times.

As a whole Raasch’s world building powers in this book were impressive. She, from the start, created a strong back story and history to her land and within that wove cultures and traditions that made the image of it all feel authentic and believable. The plot itself was interesting enough. The key word here being ‘enough’ – Snow Like Ashes was not dazzling or mind bending, it was simply ok. I won’t spoil it for you but at times when reading this book I felt like I was partaking in this weird nine to five job where I basically had to endure a run of the mill YA Rebellion plot that was only slightly different from every other story I have ever read. The thing is with SLA is that yeah, on the surface it is unique and exciting but in reality, in it’s fruition, it truly isn’t a snowflake and there is nothing special about it.

The quality of the writing was comfortable – not fantastical, and the characters were quite cardboard. The saving grace has to be in it’s ending or rather the beginning that comes from it’s ending. If you are interested enough in reading this book that in my opinion was only missing a more slowed down plot progression and a more challenging narrative then I think the majority of your joy will come from SLA’s ending. Definitely let me know if you do read it though or if you already have – I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth.

Hi bookworms,

This week I want to talk about a book which I still am not entirely sure about.

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer is a YA magical realism novel that follows Jam Gallahue, a teenage girl whose life was so perfect until her boyfriend died a few months ago and left her unsure of what to do anymore. With her family still worried for Jam’s health and confused at how they can help her, their only solution becomes a therapeutic boarding school for teens who have, like her, experienced some emotional trauma. Upon her arrival Jam is selected along with other highly intelligent and damaged teens to be apart of an exclusive and illusive club known as ‘Special Topics in English’. It is here that they are given diaries that with every entry transport the user to a miraculous other world known as Belzhar. This story is a whirlwind of good literature, dazzling mystery and the question of what it means to be young and in love.

My feelings about this book are very mixed and generally very ambivalent in all senses. I will start with the plot because, quite literally, it is the core of every story. Belzhar hooked me in with it’s gorgeous blurb that promised other worlds and beautiful broken teens however, this is simply not the case in the actual book itself. The plot has an interesting premise and a lot of intrigue but it’s execution is it’s greatest downfall. Wolitzer’s handling of events and the chronology of those events simply did not do this book justice. Everything felt rushed, shallow and at times, unnecessary. If this novel was only slightly longer or simply better written then the promising ideas behind it could of been realised so much more impressively. There is a small silver lining to it all, that is, as a whole this book possesses that intangible addictive nature that has become synonymous with the YA sub-genre. To put it simply, yes this is a badly written book but also yes this is an exciting book that I would choose to read again. Think of trashy Wattpad fan fiction you read on a dull Thursday night and you’re almost there.

The superheroes of this book are it’s characters and their back stories. Despite the nature of the plot I would definitely argue that this is a character driven narrative. Wolitzer has weaved a life like cast that each posses a different point of intrigue, all knitted together in vivid and almost natural relationships. Each of the individual back stories of all of the damaged teens are the trophies that give me a reason to even bother giving this book a mention and without the effort the author puts into her character exploration I would say that Belzhar would very quickly become a bland flop.

The question of whether or not I would recommend this book is a difficult one. There are, as you know, two sides to every story and my feelings for Belzhar are true to this. I recommend it to you for the engrossing lives that are lived through this novel. I warn you away from the poor writing style and sometimes empty meaning.

I give this book a 2.7 out of 5 stars.

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth