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wordsofclover's Reviews (2.16k)
What phenomenal world-building. I started having dreams I was a Haden after reading this book for a few days. Full review to come.
3.5 Stars.
MacKayla Lane is a normal Georgian young woman who loves her pastel colours, her make-up and nail polish. However, Mac's life turns upside down when her sister is murdered in Dublin, Ireland, and she goes over to investigate when she feels the gardaí aren't doing their job properly. Suddenly Mac discovers that she is something called a Sidhe-Seer, meaning she can see both dark and light fae - putting her life in huge danger. Mac is sucked into a quest she never wanted but it might mean finding the person who killed her sister.
After a couple of months of thinking about this book, I can finally write something on it. This is not the best written series ever, and I'm not 100% sure it deserves the amount of hype it's receiving at the moment but that's not to say it's not an enjoyable read. Mac, while slightly self-centred and ditzy at times, is an enjoyable character and someone you can't help but like and want to succeed. Jericho Barnes is someone who I hated and loved in equal measure. He has a very tough exterior but i feel like he really has a mellow centre and in his own way, he cares a lot.
My issues with this book was mainly the way Dublin was portrayed. It seems that not one person that Mac meets is nice to her, and that's the complete opposite to the Dublin I call my home. I don't particularly think this book puts Ireland into a good light and/or would make readers want to visit there. I also think, considering the book is all about the fae, going somewhere else in Ireland, such as Galway, Kerry or Donegal, would definitely help too.
MacKayla Lane is a normal Georgian young woman who loves her pastel colours, her make-up and nail polish. However, Mac's life turns upside down when her sister is murdered in Dublin, Ireland, and she goes over to investigate when she feels the gardaí aren't doing their job properly. Suddenly Mac discovers that she is something called a Sidhe-Seer, meaning she can see both dark and light fae - putting her life in huge danger. Mac is sucked into a quest she never wanted but it might mean finding the person who killed her sister.
After a couple of months of thinking about this book, I can finally write something on it. This is not the best written series ever, and I'm not 100% sure it deserves the amount of hype it's receiving at the moment but that's not to say it's not an enjoyable read. Mac, while slightly self-centred and ditzy at times, is an enjoyable character and someone you can't help but like and want to succeed. Jericho Barnes is someone who I hated and loved in equal measure. He has a very tough exterior but i feel like he really has a mellow centre and in his own way, he cares a lot.
My issues with this book was mainly the way Dublin was portrayed. It seems that not one person that Mac meets is nice to her, and that's the complete opposite to the Dublin I call my home. I don't particularly think this book puts Ireland into a good light and/or would make readers want to visit there. I also think, considering the book is all about the fae, going somewhere else in Ireland, such as Galway, Kerry or Donegal, would definitely help too.
4.5 stars
Never Fade is the second book in The Darkest Minds trilogy and follows Ruby as she carries out missions for the Children's League and ends up coming across a terrible plot that puts the lives of all her friends in danger.
I really enjoyed this book, it was such a thrill and full of action. Ruby just seemed to bump headlong into danger again and again and she always manages to save herself and everyone along with it. I felt a bit discombulated with this book at first because of the absence of some of the character that made The Darkest Minds so great. Chubs' snaky humour, Liam's easygoing nature and Zu's smiles were so notably absent that even Jude's excitement and Vida's kickasss-ness couldn't quite manage to mask it. I did like the formation of the new gang, the old one will just remain in my heart as special and i really hope we see Zu in the next book because I missed her a lot in this one. Oh and that Vida and Chubs get it on because girl, chemistry masked with hatred. We all see what's going on!
Just like in The Darkest Minds, the character development of Ruby (and Chubs for that matter) was great to see. Ruby is so much more controlled in this book as well as really stepping up as leader of the group. In The Darkest Minds Liam was more or less the one making decisions and in Never Fade it was very much Ruby and not just because she was official leader of the League group.
The end happened so quickly and yet not quickly at the same time and for a while I wasn't totally sure what was happening. But THAT broke me. And those who read it know what I'm talking about. I'm eager to see what happens in the next book, what Ruby and what's left of the 'League' do with the information they have. I'd like to get to know Cole more as well and I feel like there's a lot more to come in term of the Reds and what significance any remaining Reds have for gaining back control
I mean why Jude, WHY! I really hope Ruby and Vida become closer over the loss and it will be interesting to see what Nico does. He stinks a bit like Divergent's Caleb and I don't trust him. Also Clancy Gray you smug handsome bastard. Why do I want to throttle you and kiss you at the same time? Gah!
Never Fade is the second book in The Darkest Minds trilogy and follows Ruby as she carries out missions for the Children's League and ends up coming across a terrible plot that puts the lives of all her friends in danger.
I really enjoyed this book, it was such a thrill and full of action. Ruby just seemed to bump headlong into danger again and again and she always manages to save herself and everyone along with it. I felt a bit discombulated with this book at first because of the absence of some of the character that made The Darkest Minds so great. Chubs' snaky humour, Liam's easygoing nature and Zu's smiles were so notably absent that even Jude's excitement and Vida's kickasss-ness couldn't quite manage to mask it. I did like the formation of the new gang, the old one will just remain in my heart as special and i really hope we see Zu in the next book because I missed her a lot in this one. Oh and that Vida and Chubs get it on because girl, chemistry masked with hatred. We all see what's going on!
Just like in The Darkest Minds, the character development of Ruby (and Chubs for that matter) was great to see. Ruby is so much more controlled in this book as well as really stepping up as leader of the group. In The Darkest Minds Liam was more or less the one making decisions and in Never Fade it was very much Ruby and not just because she was official leader of the League group.
The end happened so quickly and yet not quickly at the same time and for a while I wasn't totally sure what was happening. But THAT broke me. And those who read it know what I'm talking about. I'm eager to see what happens in the next book, what Ruby and what's left of the 'League' do with the information they have. I'd like to get to know Cole more as well and I feel like there's a lot more to come in term of the Reds and what significance any remaining Reds have for gaining back control
I'm actually surprised that I liked this book and ended up giving it 4 stars!
Aza has suffered from a lung condition her whole life and has more or less come to terms with the fact she won't live much longer past her sixteenth birthday. Then, Aza starts seeing ships in the sky, birds start talking to her and she finds a feather in her lung. Before too long, Aza will come to realise that everything she thought about herself is a lie and she discovers who she really is.
I really didn't like this book the first chapter or so. It was so cliche, the sick girl with the hot friend and the sick girl fights the sympathetic world by being brass and sarcastic and joking about her imminent death. I'm been there, done that, got the T-shirt. I felt like Aza (or more so the author) was trying so hard to get across how 'funny and sarcastic' Aza was that it was almost like an offence of words being hurled across my eyeballs. I almost felt like i had to duck for cover and shout, 'Okay, okay, I get it!'
Once, shall I say, the ball got rolling and Aza found herself on her ship in the sky, the story progressed a lot more nicely for me. It certainly wasn't perfect and it slowed up a few times (more so around Jason's chapters, I don't think they were that necessary. Also. I'm sick of the sick girl having a male best friend who ends up conveniently really hot. Why can't he just be an ordinary guy?). I liked Aza's character development, she was strong to begin with and she became stronger and obviously learned to use her abilities as well. The whole world of Magonia is amazing, and I would really like to find out more about it.
I don't think the ending was great, it felt a bit meh for me. Maybe, it would have been better to leave it on a cliff-hanger rather than the 'I'm just going to stay here and be comfortable until they find me and the shit hits the fan' kind of motto.'
Overall, the book surprised me and was very different to what I thought it would be. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more!
Aza has suffered from a lung condition her whole life and has more or less come to terms with the fact she won't live much longer past her sixteenth birthday. Then, Aza starts seeing ships in the sky, birds start talking to her and she finds a feather in her lung. Before too long, Aza will come to realise that everything she thought about herself is a lie and she discovers who she really is.
I really didn't like this book the first chapter or so. It was so cliche, the sick girl with the hot friend and the sick girl fights the sympathetic world by being brass and sarcastic and joking about her imminent death. I'm been there, done that, got the T-shirt. I felt like Aza (or more so the author) was trying so hard to get across how 'funny and sarcastic' Aza was that it was almost like an offence of words being hurled across my eyeballs. I almost felt like i had to duck for cover and shout, 'Okay, okay, I get it!'
Once, shall I say, the ball got rolling and Aza found herself on her ship in the sky, the story progressed a lot more nicely for me. It certainly wasn't perfect and it slowed up a few times (more so around Jason's chapters, I don't think they were that necessary. Also. I'm sick of the sick girl having a male best friend who ends up conveniently really hot. Why can't he just be an ordinary guy?). I liked Aza's character development, she was strong to begin with and she became stronger and obviously learned to use her abilities as well. The whole world of Magonia is amazing, and I would really like to find out more about it.
I don't think the ending was great, it felt a bit meh for me. Maybe, it would have been better to leave it on a cliff-hanger rather than the 'I'm just going to stay here and be comfortable until they find me and the shit hits the fan' kind of motto.'
Overall, the book surprised me and was very different to what I thought it would be. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more!
3.5 Stars.
Meg and Johnny are characters I really adore and I always love coming back to see how they're doing. At this stage, they feel like old friends. Johnny's Girl takes up a few months after Baby Be Mine with Meg and Johnny happily married and with a new baby. However, Meg starts allowing herself to feel old insecurities when the family move back to LA. And then Meg gets news from Johnny that's she's been dreading...
This was cute, fun and just a nice comfort read. It was very short so didn't take me long to read at all. I do love Meg but at this stage some of her insecurities about Johnny and the women he has been with are getting kind of old. I really feel like she needs to move on and get over them instead of bringing them up over and over again. I'm looking forward to finding out more about Jessie, and I think she's going to be a really fun and wild YA read. It will be great to see Meg from Jessie's POV as well, haha!
Meg and Johnny are characters I really adore and I always love coming back to see how they're doing. At this stage, they feel like old friends. Johnny's Girl takes up a few months after Baby Be Mine with Meg and Johnny happily married and with a new baby. However, Meg starts allowing herself to feel old insecurities when the family move back to LA. And then Meg gets news from Johnny that's she's been dreading...
This was cute, fun and just a nice comfort read. It was very short so didn't take me long to read at all. I do love Meg but at this stage some of her insecurities about Johnny and the women he has been with are getting kind of old. I really feel like she needs to move on and get over them instead of bringing them up over and over again. I'm looking forward to finding out more about Jessie, and I think she's going to be a really fun and wild YA read. It will be great to see Meg from Jessie's POV as well, haha!
The Chimes tells the story of Simon, a boy who loves in a strange dystopian/alternate version of London, where reading and writing no longer exist. Instead, everything is told through sound and music - directions, announcements, conversation. People can no longer retain memory, only the vaguest sense of body memory. Memories are stored in physical objects and are taken out now and again in an attempt to relive and remember.
Simon meets Lucien and the other members of the Five Pact and before too long, Simon realises that he can hear and remember differently to others. Soon Simon and Lucien embark on a mission to destroy the memory erasing The Chimes and change the order of their world.
I quite enjoyed this. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. It's definitely something very different and I'm glad I gave it a chance. I do wonder if I was a little bit more schooled in musical terms if I'd have understand more. I have no idea if lento meant fast or slow. It was hard to imagine a world where everything is sung and it was both repulsive and beautiful at the same time. It was definitely not the kind of dystopian or alternate world I would like to live in. It didn't seem like anyone had a great life.
I enjoyed the fluidity of Simon and Lucien's relationship. It was slow and lapping and beautiful with subtle undertones. There was no great passion, but there was such a beautiful strength and connection between the two that I really loved.
If anyone is feeling hesitant about picking this book up, I'd urge you to give it a chance. It has such beautiful imagination and stringing together of words that while it's not the best book I've ever read, it's definitely rememberable.
Simon meets Lucien and the other members of the Five Pact and before too long, Simon realises that he can hear and remember differently to others. Soon Simon and Lucien embark on a mission to destroy the memory erasing The Chimes and change the order of their world.
I quite enjoyed this. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. It's definitely something very different and I'm glad I gave it a chance. I do wonder if I was a little bit more schooled in musical terms if I'd have understand more. I have no idea if lento meant fast or slow. It was hard to imagine a world where everything is sung and it was both repulsive and beautiful at the same time. It was definitely not the kind of dystopian or alternate world I would like to live in. It didn't seem like anyone had a great life.
I enjoyed the fluidity of Simon and Lucien's relationship. It was slow and lapping and beautiful with subtle undertones. There was no great passion, but there was such a beautiful strength and connection between the two that I really loved.
If anyone is feeling hesitant about picking this book up, I'd urge you to give it a chance. It has such beautiful imagination and stringing together of words that while it's not the best book I've ever read, it's definitely rememberable.