This book is quite a difficult one to review because there were certainly things that I liked about it but there was also quite a lot that I was indifferent to. I know of some people who have loved this book and others who have not got on so well with it, I think I’m best placed in between the two of those extremes. Instead of my usual review I’m going to split this into the bits I liked and the bits that didn’t quite tickle my pickle!

Things I liked:

- The writing style. I mean there are some scenes in this book that are so beautifully written and I could have reread some of these sentences over and over. The descriptions in this book are spot on.
- The summery feel. I’m definitely glad that I read this book during the summer or some of its charm would have been lost on me.
- I thought the way this book dealt with grief was really well written. Gottie is stuck in her own cycle of grief after her grandfather dies and I thought this was quite nicely represented and made a lot of sense by the end of the book.
- The romance was okay. It’s not a couple I would fall head over heels for but it definitely had its moments where I thought it was completely adorable.

Things I liked less:

- So I know this book is about time travel BUT there was just too much science for me. I couldn’t understand some of what was being said and as a result I found myself skimming sections of the book when I could see all the science jargon. I feel like I needed it to either be a contemporary or a science fiction, my brain couldn’t handle both concepts. But I’m sure plenty of readers will love this!
- I felt confused sometimes. The time travel wasn’t always clear to me and then I couldn’t quite follow what was happening (my skimming won’t have helped here!)
- I wanted more of a connection with the characters. There is a great cast of characters here but I felt like I never got to know most of them well enough to truly care about them. I just missed that connection that I so wanted.

There is plenty for people to like about this book; I think it just wasn’t quite for me. If you love Physics/Maths and romance then this is definitely a book you would like so I highly recommend it.

Leigh Bardugo is one of my absolute favourite authors so when I had the chance to get my hands on this book early I was beyond excited. Wonder Woman: Warbringer is absolutely everything I wanted and so much more.

It takes only a couple of chapters before we are sucked into the main plot of the story: Diana has saved Alia (a mortal) from drowning but her presence on the island is causing the Amazons to become ill. Rather than take the Oracle’s warning, Diana decides to set off on a quest to not only save her Amazon sisters but to save the world from war and destruction. There is certainly plenty of action throughout this book and during some scenes I could barely breathe for fear of what was going to happen next – it kept me right on the edge of my seat! There was a great big plot twist at the end of this book that I LOVED but it also made me angry – I felt the same way the characters must have! It was really fantastically written!

From the very first pages I was completely sucked into Diana’s world and life on Themyscira. Leigh’s writing style is so elegant and I loved how quickly I was able to create the imagery to accompany the story in my head. Everything was described in such a rich and colourful way and it really took my breath away. It was also really great to have so many references to Greek mythology throughout the book. It’s not something I had much interest in before but my interest has certainly been piqued now!

I first realised how much I was enjoying this book and its characters once Diana was in the mortal world with Alia. The differences between them and their lifestyles became apparent very quickly which lead to some really hilarious and touching moments. Diana wondering if Google is one of Alia’s Gods is a moment that really got me laughing. The dialogue in the book was used so effectively to build the relationships between the characters and to give us as the reader a better glimpse into their personalities. I loved it!

The characters in this book are diverse: of the main characters almost all of them are PoC and Nim is also bisexual. There was so much to love about the characters in this book and it was great to see how they individually developed throughout the course of the book. I knew I would end up loving Diana but I didn’t expect to find a whole new cast of characters to adore and it was such a great surprise.

Diana is an absolute badass and I fell in love with Alia and Nim too. All three of these ladies are intelligent, strong, resilient, independent, passionate and fiery. Alia and Nim also have a fantastic friendship and I am a huge sucker for a well-portrayed female friendship in any novel that I read. Diana, of course, is our main character from the first page and my love for her just grew and grew. I knew I would like her (she’s Wonder Woman, for crying out loud) but as the story progressed I just absolutely loved her. She had such huge character development and it was lovely to see her navigating her way through new emotions and feelings towards her new mortal companions. I really appreciate that this book was written in such a way that I ended up caring for all of the main characters though and not just Diana.

With plenty of plot twists and turns, laugh out loud moments, fantastic characters and a big dollop of girl power throughout, Wonder Woman: Warbringer is sure to be a book that many will love.

Spy Toys was a surprisingly pleasant read. It’s been a while since I read a book like this and it reminded me why I fell in love with reading when I was so young. The ability to escape into another world or story was something I just loved and I think this book will provide that experience for many little readers.

Who didn’t wish that their toys could come to life when they were younger? I know I certainly did and so even my older self was thrilled to see that this story was based around that very concept. It was nice to see how this story showed young readers that even the ‘faulty’ toys who weren’t good enough to be sold could become the heroes of the story. There were some great morals in this book that I think would resonate with young readers and would certainly bring discussion points for parents reading this with their children.

I loved how silly this book was (and I mean that in a nice way!). There were silly names such as ‘Loadsasmiles Sunshine Doll’, ‘Snugaliffic Cuddlestar bear’ and so many more. The irony of these names as you get to know the characters they are associated with will not be lost on any adults reading these books either.

This book is also crammed full of some really fantastic and eye-catching illustrations. It’s not often I read books with illustrations so these were a welcome addition for me but I’m sure any young readers will enjoy looking at these as they move through the story too.

With a fantastic, exciting adventure and a whole host of wonderful characters, I’m sure this will grow to be a series that kids everywhere will love.

Prisoner of Ice and Snow throws us right in at the deep end. From the very first pages we are in the thick of the main plot and it took me a few chapters to fully understand and realise what was going on. Maybe that’s the YA fantasy reader in me though who is used to chapters of world building at the beginning of the books I read, so that isn’t a criticism by any means.

Valor, our leading lady, willingly commits a crime in order to get herself sent to the same prison as Sasha, her twin sister. The prison itself is horrible and that goes to show how great a sacrifice Valor has made for her sister. I really loved that this book was about sisters because it made me think of my own and I know that I would also do anything to protect or help my own sister. I think many young readers will also admire Valor for her bravery and courage, definitely two traits that I was really pleased to see represented by a female character in middle grade literature.

The plot was interesting with the right amount of twists and turns along the way but I found that the pace was quite on/off. Some chapters felt full of action and others seemed a lot slower. I didn’t know when reading this that it is the first book in a series and so I was disappointed with the ending. Knowing now that it is a series I think the ending makes more sense but it still frustrated me slightly as it felt very rushed. It has certainly left itself open for plenty more action in the next book though and I’m sure younger readers will audibly gasp at the last couple of paragraphs.

As far as characters go there wasn’t enough detail for me. I felt like I got to know Valor quite well but I really wanted more depth to the other characters she befriends along the way. There’s a fab selection of characters and I really wanted to get to know more about them, maybe that will come in book two. Valor is a character I can imagine a lot of young readers really liking, especially young girls who may feel inspired by her courage and bravery. She does make some decisions that are really not very well thought through and at times she was a bit unlikeable to me but that’s just my own opinion.

Overall I thought this was a good book with an interesting plot, plenty of action and a nice selection of characters. I’m sure younger readers will enjoy this quick fantasy, especially any sisters out there.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury and the author for my copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

4.5 stars!

I was so excited to read this book because any time a book considered even slightly feminist is released I know I need to get my hands on it. Luckily I managed to get my hands on an advanced copy and this book was even more than I hoped it would be. It is passionate, honest, emotional and exhilarating.

Taking us all the way back to the 1910’s, Things A Bright Girl Can Do is everything that I expect from a historical fiction novel with the exception that I found it much easier to read than most. It was really informative about the Suffragette movement and the War without containing paragraph upon paragraph of information. It is very much a character driven novel and I really enjoyed seeing the situation from three rather different points of view.

Evelyn was a really interesting character and certainly one that I imagine I would have related to in some ways if I were born in those times. She is really ambitious and absolutely angered by the fact that, as a woman, she is not expected to go onto University or to get herself a better education. There were some particularly passionate bits of dialogue in Evelyn’s chapters that really fuelled the passionate feminist in me. It was also interesting to read her POV because of her beloved Teddy and it was nice to see that this book took into account the many men who were supportive of women fighting for their right to vote. There were certainly parts of Evelyn’s journey that made me feel quite emotional and she certainly sacrificed a lot at a young age, as many of our ancestors did.

May was the character I probably related to the least in a personal way. She comes from a well off background and some of her views were a little frustrating to me. On the other hand I absolutely loved that she was passionate about the right to vote but that she did call into question (alongside her mother) some of the more violent actions of the Suffragettes. May is quite a light hearted and loving young lady who is full of passion and it was really refreshing to see her part in the lesbian relationship of the book and her views on her sexuality.

Nell was definitely my favourite of the girls. She was in absolutely no way your stereotypical ‘girl’ – she dressed more like a boy, acted more like a boy and as a result had basically made herself an outcast from her part of society. It was nice to read the POV of a character coming from a much lower social class than the other two girls because it made everything feel even more real. The affects of the War on Nell’s family were devastating and it really made my heart ache knowing that this happened to so, so many families. Nell is incredibly fiery, passionate, protective and driven. I just loved how far she would go to help support her family, no matter the cost. Some of my favourite dialogue was between Nell and May, especially when Nell would get so frustrated at May’s lack of ability to understand her own view point and situation.

All in all I really loved the three girls as I thought they all brought something unique to the table. I was really glad that each of the girls were different and gave me different ways to view how things were as it was really thought provoking. It was great to get an insight into the different ways in which women fought for suffrage and also the consequences of those actions.

Aside from suffrage, this book had great diversity threaded through it and its many themes. There was love aplenty but I was happy to see a f/f relationship and the discussion that it opened about sexuality. I was incredibly happy that the girls were from different social classes and that it was so apparent how this affected their views on different things. Nell, being from a lower social class, had very little to lose and would throw herself whole heartedly into the action whereas someone like May, who came from a higher social class, wouldn’t dream of being involved in the violence. It added a really interesting element for me.

I absolutely love coming away from a book and knowing that it has taught me something and that is definitely how I felt after I put down Things A Bright Girl Can Do. It was really thought provoking and evoked a lot of emotions within me. Mostly I am absolutely and completely grateful to all those women who fought for suffrage in such times, without them where would we be today?

A huge thank you to Harriet at Andersen Press for my advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Truth or Dare is a marvellous read; it is fun yet gritty, full of love yet tinged with sadness. It had me hooked from beginning to end and I read the whole thing in just two sittings.

I loved pretty much everything about this book. I loved the messages it sends out to young people especially the importance of holding people accountable for their actions and not just accepting the way you are treated. I particularly loved the way in which Sef’s grief is dealt with. Although his brother is not dead, Sef certainly feels like he has lost him and, although when first starting to read his part I felt completely and utterly betrayed by him, I soon came to understand him and his way a lot more clearly.

I really loved reading a dual narrative written this way as it really showed the importance of understanding there are two sides to every story and how our perceptions can be so different from the truth. It tackles such a range of contemporary issues such as social media, sexuality, disability, bullying, racism and friendship.

The characters are diverse and have many, many layers to them. We see friendships breaking, being made and being built back up again. I love a book where friendship isn’t always easy and Truth or Dare certainly provides that. Non Pratt certainly captures the teenage spirit and voice like no other.

With fantastic writing and a host of brilliant characters, Truth or Dare is a contemporary novel that is sure to carve itself a place in the hearts of many.

Read my full review here: https://kellysramblings.wordpress.com/2017/09/09/truth-or-dare-by-non-pratt/

Just when I thought there was no way that Laini Taylor can top the first two books in the series, she goes and does just that. Dreams of Gods and Monsters is a glorious conclusion to the trilogy.

Rather than using book three just to wrap up all the loose ends in an epic conclusion, Taylor opens Dreams of Gods and Monsters with chapters that leave the reader with more questions than they started with. There was the introduction of some new characters, who I knew would be key to the story, somehow. But there was also plenty more action from our beloved Karou, Zuzana, Mik, Akiva, Liraz, Issa and gang.

The more I think about this series, the more I realise that I don’t think I can pick out my favourite element. The characters possibly just edge it for me but the world building in this series is just phenomenal. One of my favourite things is that although this book is a fantasy novel, it is very much grounded in our real world. There is the mention of social media, mobile phones, televisions and a portion of this book is set in Rome. Whilst this has been something I’ve liked throughout the trilogy, it felt at its most powerful in this final book where Karou and Akiva are desperately trying to put a stop to Jael’s evil plans for the human world. I thought that the fact the fantasy aspects of the world came from a parallel universe was really interesting and it really does leave you wondering if there could be something out there!

Laini Taylor’s writing has very, very quickly become some of my favourite. Her power over the words she puts down on the page is majestic. I still cannot fathom how these wonderfully written, poetic, magical sentences, paragraphs and pages can come out of her brain. Whilst reading you can tell that every word has been chosen with a purpose. Everything means something and I felt like I was in a mythical trance the whole time I was reading. I loved how she was able to capture my attention so quickly with her words.

I loved imagining what all of the characters looked like which was hugely helped by the wonderful descriptions in the books. Conjuring up my own versions of the chimaera in all of their glory was one of my favourite things to do whilst reading this series. I loved how inventive the combinations were and in my mind all of these creatures were glamorous in their own right.

Let’s have a quick overview of my character feelings (without too much detail because I don’t want to spoil anyone!). Karou: quickly has become a new fictional favourite of mine, she is strong-willed, courageous, spirited and brave. At the same time she is loving, generous and kind. I just LOVE her. Zuzana: hilarious, gosh did she make me laugh, sassy but her inner strength and hidden generosity warmed my heart. Mik: adorable. What else can I say? Akiva: just the mention of his flamed eyes sets something alight inside of me. He made me feel so many emotions throughout the course of these books. Liraz: fierce, courageous and secretly kind-hearted. I admired her a lot. Ziri: sweet, sweet Ziri. Issa: I just love Issa a lot and I enjoy hissing her name knowing that she is part snake. Jael: terrifying! Just the thought of him makes my skin crawl but also, what a great villain! I’m going to stop now before I actually name every single character…

Basically, I have read the entire trilogy in 6 days and by this point I am a complete and utter fangirl and wanting to discuss these books with everyone so if you have read them please let me know! The ending few chapters and THAT epilogue reduced me to a mess of silent tears. I don’t think I even realised I was crying at first, that’s how much emotion was conjured up within me from Taylor’s writing. I had no idea how much of an emotional toll this book was taking or that the characters mattered to me quite as much as they did. Tragic but so beautiful throughout.

If you love well written fantasy with superb world building, magical writing and a whole host of powerful characters then you should pick up this trilogy immediately. You won’t be disappointed!

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe deserves every tiny drop of hype that it gets, it’s incredible!

I adored the writing style because I was immediately able to conjure up the scenes in my head but I didn’t feel that there were reams and reams of description either. The Science-y aspects were understandable and did not baffle my brain, they were simplified enough to be understandable but I was also still in awe of it all and how intelligent Romy is.

The plot of this book is so exhilarating and creepy at the same time. It is incredibly action-packed and one of the few books that I would actually LOVE to see brought to life on film as I think the plot would lend itself perfectly to the big screen. I can’t even begin to imagine how gorgeous it would look!

I LOVED Romy. She has so many layers and that is always something I look for in my favourite fictional characters. As well as being incredibly intelligent, independent, resilient and sassy, she has a much deeper emotional side and her anxiety was well-written and very relatable for me. This book also has one of the CREEPIEST villains I have read in a long time. I don’t want to give things away so I’m not going to say much more other than I actually had goosebumps on my skin and felt so on edge during certain parts of the book.

This book is truly incredible. It is not what you expect it to be, but it is so much more. Underneath a stunning, sparkly cover is a tense, exhilarating journey through Space with fantastic characters and beautiful writing. YA Science-Fiction at its best!

Read my full review here: https://kellysramblings.wordpress.com/2017/09/14/the-loneliest-girl-in-the-universe-by-lauren-james/

I have been waiting what feels like forever to read this book. Last year I fell head over heels for The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly and immediately added The Arsonist to by TBR. I was super lucky to get my hands on an ARC of this at YALC and was thrilled as it wasn’t a book I was expecting to see there! Nevertheless, I have finally read it and I was absolutely blown away by how gorgeous it was.

The Arsonist was nothing like I expected it to be. I’ll be honest and say that I hadn’t really read the blurb as I knew I wanted this book regardless of what it was about because I loved Oakes’ writing so much in her debut. This is such a gorgeous story of finding yourself and friendship and it is written in the most beautiful way. By the end of the book I had tears pouring down my face because I was just so attached to the characters and it really mattered to me what happened next. I did foresee where the story would lead but I certainly did not make the connections in the way they were actually made in the book and they were so well woven together.

The story is told from three perspectives and Stephanie Oakes has done a marvellous job at creating three unique voices and somehow managing to weave all of their stories together. Even many of the secondary characters were somehow woven into the bigger picture and it all seems so effortless by the end. I rarely write physical notes whilst reading but after every few chapters of this book I found myself theorising and writing down how Molly, Pepper and Ava could be connected. On many of those pages after my notes, I’ve just written ‘WHAT?’. For once I actually really enjoyed feeling quite lost in the story and not being 100% aware of what the connections were, it meant I really had to get to know the characters and I grew to love them quickly. It may not have the quickest plot but as someone who lives for well written characters, this book was marvellous. In fact, I read the whole thing in 24 hours and at 496 pages that is saying quite something!

A bit about our characters but don’t worry, there will be no spoilers from me!

Molly Mavity is the daughter of the Arsonist, her father has committed terrible crimes and is sentenced to death on death row. Her mother committed suicide several years ago but Molly refuses to believe this and thinks her mother is still out there somewhere. Molly is an outsider and I love her for that. She doesn’t want to fit it, she just wants to be herself and if that means she is a bit of a loner then so be it. Molly is so determined and curious about everything and I really valued those traits in her. I loved her journey and development throughout the book and although her story is tainted with huge sadness, Molly comes out on top.

Pepper is just an absolute sweetheart. We read his POV through a series of essays he has to write in order to graduate high school. Pepper lives with his father, a fisherman, after they moved to the US from Kuwait, where his mother died shortly after giving birth to him. He is epileptic and has a seizure dog called Bertrand, who appears to be pretty useless but is a great companion nonetheless. I loved Pepper’s humour and he provided some of the best laugh out loud moments of the book. Pepper’s life changes rather drastically when Molly comes crashing into it, but why have they been brought together?

Ava Dreyman provides our third POV through a series of diary entries, think Anne Frank style. Ava is a young girl living in East Berlin during the 1980s and we see her many struggles with the system, love and family. I really enjoyed reading her diary entries as they were interesting and informative but the whole time I was reading them I couldn’t help but try and figure out what the connection was. It becomes slightly clearer towards the end but even these diary entries come with their own sets of twists and turns.

Each chapter peels back a layer from the relevant character and brings you a step closer to revealing the truth. I couldn’t pick a favourite POV to read from as each had their own endearing quality to them. What I can say is that these characters are exceptionally well written and it doesn’t take long to build a connection with them. The question you will want answered is how are they connected to each other?

The Arsonist is a magnificent read, it is beautifully written and will keep you interested and intrigued right up until the end.

3.5 stars rounded up!

I went into Daughter of the Burning City without too much knowledge of what it actually was about and I think this did me a lot of good as I was able to watch the story unfold before my very eyes.

Daughter of the Burning City is set in Gomorrah, possibly one of the darkest and most mysterious carnivals I have read about. I am a big fan of circus themed books and that was the main reason that I picked this one up. Gomorrah is full of darkness, from the stands and shows to the inhabitants itself. Everyone is hiding something and it is difficult to know who to trust. I’m not sure how much I would enjoy walking around Gomorrah, I think I’d be on edge, but it would certainly be surreal and fantastical!

Our MC is Sorina and I really adored her, I thought she was fierce, protective and incredibly loyal. Not often does she let her emotions get the better of her but when they did I just wanted to snuggle her and make her feel okay. Sorina is a ‘freak’. She has no eyes, yet she can see (I really, really wanted to know more about this and was disappointed that I didn’t!). She is able to create illusions and I loved her illusion family. They were all so different and unique in their own ways and my favourite parts of the book were reading the scenes where they were performing their freak show for the crowds.

When her illusions start getting murdered, something Sorina thought impossible, she embarks on a quest to discover who is behind the atrocities. This is when we meet precious, adorable Luca. I really liked him and thought he was very endearing, even during those moments where I was unsure of his loyalty. The plot had an excellent premise and whilst by the end we do discover who is behind the murders, I felt it took us a VERY long time to get there. Whilst I could appreciate the beauty of the writing and world-building, I would have liked the plot to be a little more exciting and driven forward at a slightly faster pace to capture my attention a little more.

It was refreshing to read a book that isn’t full of the usual tropes, however. There is no ‘strong, perfect’ female lead, Sorina is deformed in the eyes of those around her, certainly not a glamorous lead. There is no love triangle and ‘who is she going to pick’ element which I appreciated and the romance that is there is secondary to the rest of the plot and novel which worked really well. The characters are diverse in many ways including sexuality. There is a lot to praise in this book and I did enjoy reading it.

On the whole this is a dark, mysterious book with a fantastic setting and a host of interesting characters. I just wanted a bit more excitement and pace from the plot to keep me flipping the pages quickly. I’ll definitely be coming back for more from Amanda Foody when her next novel is released in 2018, her writing style is beautiful!

Thanks to HQ Books, Amanda Foody and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.