Hey everyone!

Hope you’re all well

This week I’m going to talk about a book I read a very long time ago.

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine is a YA High fantasy novel that follows Lorelai, the Crown princess of Ravenspire who’s throne was stolen from her when her evil step mother, Irina, killed her father, the king and began to poison the land with her terrible magic. In a battle between light and dark Lorelai must use her own magic to defeat the dragon-shifting huntsman the Shadow Queen has sent for her and take back the kingdom that always truly belonged to her. Things get difficult, of course when the princess realises that the half man, half beast chasing her is actually a prince, whose mind is being held captive under the wicked Irina’s spell and maybe might not be such a bad guy after all.

This story is a retelling of the childhood classic Snow White and because of that there are some very obvious parallels to the fairytale. But wait, don’t be put off by this and don’t presume that you already know what is going to happen. Because this book is a rollercoaster.

Right from the beginning we are shoved into a fast-paced plot with vivid language that doesn’t give you a second to breathe. The world-building in this book is one of it’s biggest strengths and I think it all comes down to Redwine’s attention to the history of the land and people. She creates culture, folklore and a backstory- all of which contribute to create a society of people that feel life like. My only qualm about the plot and how it’s played out is that although at the start the author goes into a lot of detail about the world’s past- thats really it. I wanted to know more about the universe that this book was set in and I wanted a more consistent approach to the background of what was going on, instead of it all being at the start.

The characters in The Shadow Queen are the stars of the show that is this story. Gushing with detail and depth, each member of the book’s cast brings something different to the table. Redwine, somehow, makes you love or hate her characters as though they are real people you know. There is a deep sense of immersion that we gain through the author’s skilful use of description. The romance in this book is perfectly salty and sweet too. However there were some footfalls at times regarding Lorelai’s family and her past. Once again Redwine talks a lot about whats going on in the present tense regarding characters but rarely gives us details about their pasts- all of which would help to flush out the elephants in the room that are, at times, very easy to spot in The Shadow Queen.

Perhaps my favourite element of the story is Lorelai. These days too many authors are writing princesses in High Fantasy novels as whiny and unnecessarily cold. Lorelai is different, she shows warmth and leadership but she is also a badass and moves through her world knowing what she wants. Her power as an enchantress and the presentation of magic in this book in general must be noted. Redwine in The Shadow Queen has created a magic system that feels fresh, unique and sometimes even plausible. Instead of being able to just shoot fireballs from your hands and then get tired after cough cough, Throne Of Glass, users of magic in Lorelai’s world must ask the elements or the things they are commanding if they can wielded by the magician. For example, if the princess wants to conjure spears of ice from the river she must ask it first and in a beautiful way it becomes personified- it may refuse or argue back if she asks for too much. There is certainly an elegance to magic that isn’t so infinite or unfeasibly strong.

I would recommend this book if you are really into fantasy novels but if not and your simply thinking of dabbling in the genre there are so many other better options cough, cough ACOTAR.

I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth

Hello Bookworms!

This weeks review is of one of the coolest books I’ve ever read.

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin is a YA historical science fiction novel that imagines a world where the Allied powers never won the second World War but instead the Nazis did. Yael is a seventeen year old resistance fighter and she is going to kill Hitler and finally end all of the pain and terror he has brought forth – she just has to get close enough to him first. With the pack of wolves on her arm, tattooed to remind her never to forget, and her deadly shapeshifting power, the Nazis don’t know whats coming for them.

This book is a whirlwind journey that spans continents and time all in a way so elegantly that by the end you’ll be wondering, did any of that actually just happen? Can anything be so good? The plot itself is dazzlingly unique. There is, of course, some parallels to the cult classic The Man In The High Castle with it’s dystopian Nazi future, but in her YA twist Graudin mixes in an element of sci-fi that fits so perfectly into the story that I can’t imagine the plot without it.

Yael is a shapeshifter. I won’t give you the logistics or the origins because they are just too good to spoil but her bad-assery in this book needs to be mentioned if I am going to give it a fair review. There were so many moments in the story when I was silently cheering on/commending the heroine for her unfailing ability to be awesome. She didn’t moan and she wasn’t annoying- She has a job to get done and she knows how she’s going to do it. She’s a girl with a goal and thats why I love her.

In terms of world building Graudin manages to maintain a seamless dystopia that becomes almost real every time she drops in a new detail. The writer handles the delicate subject of the holocaust and all of the atrocities committed by the Nazis in such a  thoughtful and respectful way throughout her plot and the love story she weaves in the background is my favourite kind: deadly. I won’t give any spoilers about what happens between Yael and her love interest but: The twist at the end!

I truly enjoyed Wolf by Wolf and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced story thats unique and addictive.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth

Hey everyone!

Happy to say that after a long and honestly very boring break, I am back!

I hope you are all well and ready for Summer!

Today I’m going to talk about a book by one of my favourite authors.

Thanks For The Trouble by Tommy Wallach is a contemporary YA magical realism novel that follows Parker Santé, an anomalous teen living in San Francisco who hasn’t spoken in five years. Parker’s voice is now a pen and paper and as result of his lack of friends, spends nearly all of his time in hotels, skipping school in the process. He feels stagnant, stood still in a world where others are planning their futures, deciding who they want to be. This all changes of course when he meets Zelda Toth, a peculiar girl who, like him has a penchant for hotels as well as her grey hair.

This book is a gift, a palate cleanser in an ocean of too pungent and too saturated young adult narratives. Like many successful stories, I believe Thanks For The Trouble’s beauty is born from its characters. Parker Santé has a classic YA superpower, or anti-power in the fact that he can’t speak but this feature doesn’t become annoying or unnecessary like it easily could. In fact Parker’s lack of vocals give the reader a nudge towards who he really is, a traumatised teenage boy, whilst they are searching in the jungle of the storyline. This feature in itself is another trait that helps TFTT hold its own because it is as though as the reader finds out more details and solves more puzzles regarding their main character, Parker himself does too and there is a comfortable pace in this.

Zelda Toth is a pulsing and delightfully abnormal character. There are a lot of finer threads that weave together to form the dazzling tapestry of her personality however to me, I think that it’s best you discover these on your own. I will say one thing, Wallach’s use of the fantastical through Zelda was perhaps my favourite part of the book because in the most casual and glamorous way the writer lets us know that oh by the way Zelda lives forever. Immortality is a subject that I find to be forever fascinating and the way its played out in this book only gripped me more.

This book certainly has its fair share of cliche scenarios and randomly perfect scenes that never seem to happen in real life (Where is my midnight beach party?) but please don’t let any of these events put you off. Through the scope of Wallach’s wonderful cast of characters none of these segments ever felt overly arduous and at times I even found myself escaping into the wonderful fairy land that is being an American teenager in a Californian city in a young adult novel.

I give this book a 3.7 out of 5 stars.

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth

Hi guys and girls

I hope you’ve all had a really great week and if not then I hope this next one will be.

I thought I’d talk about a book thats really important to me today.

We All Looked Up poses the question- if the world ended in two months what would you want to do with your last days? The story follows a group of teenagers who, for all of their lives have been defined by labels. But now a planet-destroying asteroid is plummeting towards Earth they don’t have to be the athlete or outcast, the slacker or the overachiever… they can just be themselves.

Initially it would be easy to deem this book as a cliche hotpot of teen angst and forthcoming apocalyptic drama. But that is not the case. Tommy Wallach was able to create a plot that felt realistic amongst a backdrop that was largely improbable. The characters are not cardboard cut-outs of previously used troupes but instead are original people with genuinely interesting stories to tell. Instead of focusing on the hysteria that we imagine would exist at the end of the world this book zooms in on the individual consequences of impending doom and how it would effect the lives of the everyday suburban teen. This is not a book full of heroes and heroines but instead scared kids who only ever wanted to belong. There is something truly elusive and astounding about a story as honest as this one. I can’t give much of the plot away because its one of those books you just have to read to enjoy but if I had to compare it to anything else it would be The Breakfast Club meets Station Eleven minus the aftermath.

If you read nothing else this month read this

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth

Hey everyone!

This week I’m going to talk about one of my favourites.

The Graces is a Young Adult, Magical Realism story about a girl called River who only ever wanted to be in when she had always felt out. The Grace family are young and gorgeous and mysterious and she, like everyone else at their school, wants to be one of them. In this book we follow black magic, beach parties and beautiful people and in the end River must confront it all to finally feel like she belongs.

Rarely do I become so wholeheartedly addicted to a book as much as I did with The Graces. A lot of people have criticised this story for being too cliche or cringe and I think that they are absolutely right. It is both of those things but thats what makes its so addictive. We learn about the plot through a main character who is a teenage girl so we shouldn’t expect the story to sound like its been narrated by a middle aged man with a degree and a mortgage. This books originality and success is born from its characters who are wide, well thought out and genuinely interesting. All of their motives and actions intertwine with events in the novel in a clever and satisfying way.

The Graces definitely has that easy to read quality because ultimately we, just like River, end up loving the family that manages to be so elusive and magical at the same time. If you are looking for a story that has some sometimes cliche main characters mixed with a winding and compelling plot then this book is for you.

I give it a 4 out of 5 stars

Keep on reading!

And thanks again Beth