Landline - Rainbow Rowell | Review

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: Orion

Publishing Date: 03/07/2014

Landline was my first book of 2015, and a book I've been wanting to read since it came out. I would absolutely read Rainbow Rowell's grocery lists, I devoured Fangirl and Eleanor and Park, and her story in the Stephanie Perkin's collated My True Love Gave To Me was my favourite. There was no doubt in my mind that I would love Landline.

And did I? Yes. Sorta. In a totally different way to her other works. Fangirl reasonated with me in so much depth - not only as a Kath who loves to write, and I appreciated the cultural references in Eleanor and Park. Landline described a place in life I haven't yet been.

That's a good thing for me, every now and again, to step away from the somewhat safe branches of YA fiction that I love so much. Landline was sharp, funny and emotional, with authentic and entertaining dialogue that has become a characteristic of Rainbow Rowell novels. Rainbow Rowell did an excellent job of intertwining past and present so we get to see all of Georgie and Neal's relationship, which was something I was concerned about.

The 'magical' phone was an interesting concept but unfortunately not one that I could fully get behind. It was a great way for Georgie to evaluate her past and remember why her and Neal got married in the first place, but eh, it just didn't really work for me. This is probably the main reason it dropped a couple of stars.

Landline was ok. It shone in the areas Rainbow is so great at, dialogue and character development and sheer emotion, but it lacked a special something for me. This has not dampened my Rainbow Rowell love at all, and now I just need to find time to read Attachments!

3/5 stars.

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Fearsome Dreamer - Laure Eve | Review

Author: Laure Eve

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Publishing Date: 03/10/2013

In Fearsome Dreamer, Europe is transformed into a dark, alternate world. England has become Angle Tar – a rural, technophobic country holding its own against the mass of other nations who have signed up to the new technological advances. While it has the premise of being a very interesting story, I found it hard to connect with.

Fearsome Dreamer starts off slow and unfortunately I didn’t feel that it really picked up at any point. At the very first instance we’re introduced to Rue, a young witch’s apprentice, and while her early story was interesting I soon found myself skipping her chapters in favour of White’s. All in all though, I couldn’t connect with the characters.

The back of the book synopsis hints at a romance between White and Rue and I felt like a lot of the story was a difficult plot with the sole objective being to bring them together for the romance towards the end. It was glaringly obvious throughout that the book was part of a series, and while I’m sure it did a great job of setting up for the rest of the series, it was unable to stand on it’s own feet.

My review of this book feels disjointed, and honestly a lot of that is because the book felt disjointed. I can’t coherently seem to write my thoughts about it. I was expecting a solid four star book, and I found myself reading a two star. It was disappointing.

I’ll still read the sequel, because Fearsome Dreamer did do an excellent job of setting up some questions that will niggle at me until I know the answers.  

2/5 stars.

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*A copy of this book was provided by Hot Key Books in return for my honest review

Say Her Name - James Dawson | Review **AND GIVEAWAY**

Author: James Dawson

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Publishing Date: 05/06/2014

Bobbie Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts so when she’s dared to summon Bloody Mary with her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine, it’s no big deal. Nothing happens, until the next morning when Bobbie finds a message on her bathroom mirror: ‘five days'. But what does it mean? As their time runs out, Bobbie, Naya and Caine race to find out.

Ever since this book was announced, I’ve quite literally been counting down the days. James Dawson never fails to impress with his brilliant, inventive stories, and Say Her Name lives up to that reputation he’s firmly set in my mind.

Say Her Name, while being a truly creepy story also has a lot of other classic YA elements which give you a bit of light relief every now and again – Bobbie and Naya have a great friendship, there’s some cute romance bits, that sort of thing. Bobbie grows so much from the very first chapter to the very end of the book, and she is believable and adorable and I was cheering her on throughout. You get to dip in and out of the little snapshots of Bobbie’s life you’re provided with (you know, when she’s not being haunted and stuff). The background plays its part and does its job but that’s all, and Dawson is able to get a beautiful balance here. Also, in typical James Dawson fashion, it’s modern and up to date.

James does a fantastic job of building the tension slowly and gracefully, until you’re suddenly sitting right in the corner of the sofa unable to breathe properly and not entirely sure how you got to that point. But you can’t put the book down, because you always need to know what happens next. And with his big moments, he delivers. Mary is every bit as terrifying as the old stories will tell you, but with a new refreshing twist and background which may pull on your empathetic strings. I never thought I’d feel empathetic and scared at the same time, but it happened.

5/5 stars easily, a truly creepy read.

*Book given to me by Hot Key Books in exchange for my honest review

Want a chance to own all three fiction books by James Dawson - Hollow Pike, Cruel Summer and the brand new Say Her Name? Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win all three. 

*Giveaway closes on 13/06/2014*

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We Were Liars - E. Lockhart | Review

Author: E. Lockhart

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Published: 15/05/2014

This is going to be one of those reviews where I really skirt around what happens in this book. I’m not going to tell you about the plot. I’m not going to tell you what happens. I’m not going to tell you how it ends. It is honestly better if you go into this book knowing as little as possible.

That’s what I did. I knew nothing about this book before I sat down to read it as part of the #LiarsLiveRead on twitter, except that everyone who had read it LOVED it. That was it. Those I follow who had got ARCs had kept quiet about the plot, while loudly telling everybody that would listen to read it as soon as it was available. And I’m afraid I’m going to echo them. I will tell you that the narrator is 17 year old Cadence, the oldest grandchild of the wealthy Sinclair family. This is the story of her Summer(s).

Moreover, I can tell you is that the captivating, twisting fiction that Lockhart has crafted is housed in one of the most beautifully written books I think I’ve ever read. The descriptive language used is truly stunning, and there are metaphors that are so cleverly done that you re-read the same page a few times before moving on, soaking it all in. I was transported from my sofa to Beechwood Island with Cadence, living the story alongside her.

We Were Liars is a story that was desperately needed in the YA genre. Beautifully written, captivating and an emotional roller coaster, I honestly believe that I will struggle to find many people that don’t like this book. I finished it a couple of hours ago of sitting down to write this review and am already ready to reread it!

5/5 Stars.


*I received a copy of this book from Hot Key Books to participate in #LiarsLiveRead

Night School - C.J. Daugherty | Review

Allie Sheridan’s world is falling apart. Her brother’s run away from home. Her parents ignore her. And she’s just been arrested. Again.
This time her parents have had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to boarding school, far from her London friends.
But at Cimmeria Academy, Allie is soon caught up in the strange activities of a secret group of elite students.
When she’s attacked late one night the incident sets off a chain of increasingly violent events. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, she finds out that nothing at Cimmeria is what it seems.
And that she is not who she thought she was.

I’ve always enjoyed boarding school books. I adored Malory Towers and St Clare’s as I grew up. I’m always drawn towards boarding school books. I think that equates for a lot of the reasons that I chose to pick up Night School.

I didn’t know too much about it going in, and I actually expected a paranormal novel of some kind. The synopsis and plot makes it seem that way, however it has no paranormal elements whatsoever. To be very honest, this was a nice change from my somewhat monotonous reading routine.

One of my main issues with the book is that Allie’s “rebellion” disperses pretty much as soon as she gets to Cimmeria. Before Cimmeria she is troubled, acting out and being arrested and expelled all over the place. While she is sent to Cimmeria to be “sorted out” if you will, her personality changes quickly and we lose the rebellious, feisty main character for one that is solidly average. While I like Allie more in later books in the series, much of Night School was made strong by the supporting characters.

Due to the nature of the school all the plots were so cloaked in mystery you got absolutely no resolution about anything that happened until the very end, which could be frustrating. Even then, due to the bigger story arc of the series, you’re left with more questions. It can be a frustrating experience, although that is ultimately what made me read the next one in the series almost straight away.

C.J. Daugherty’s writing is so smooth and beautiful, transitioning easily through different settings and scenes and this definitely made up for some of the somewhat flawed, content.

3/5 stars

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*image c/o Goodreads

**This review was originally posted on collaborative book blog Blogger's Bookshelf**

Panic - Lauren Oliver | Review

Lauren Oliver, the author behind the popular Delirium trilogy and additional novellas, is back to the Young Adult fiction world with her latest offering Panic, released March the 6^th.

 

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But everyone has something to play for, and Panic brings unexpected revelations for all of them. 

Panic is a game, the stuff of legends in small-town Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere. It began one summer because there was nothing else to do. The graduating class see it as their only way to get out – pooling their money and giving it to the winner.

The opening couple of chapters of Panic really gripped me. The book starts with an action scene and is quickly vividly described, moving fast and taking the reader along for the ride. You then get introduced to the characters, who seem intriguing and make you want to know more about them. Heather and Dodge qualify for Panic, and the story begins.

The main characters have motivations for playing Panic which are discovered throughout the book. Dodge’s primary motivation for playing is revealed fairly early on, and while obviously sad was very one-dimensional in my opinion. I had much more appreciation for Heather’s motivations, which were multi-layered and developed throughout the story. 

My main issue with Panic is that there was very little world building. Lots of things were unrealistic and had me rolling my eyes. I’m sure that even small boring towns have a police force that would do more about loads of teenagers literally risking their life for a bit of cash then just complaining a bit and being a bit grumpy. There was literally no consequence of action for anyone. Also, as the book drilled into us, it takes place in a “small town” and yet no-one knows about Panic? Unless all the residents of Carp are ignorant as well as bored… Yeah, ok, you keep working on that plot hole. I mean, no-one wants to read a book where the main characters are in a various cycle of crime – arrest – repeat but let’s try to have a little bit of realism, shall we? 

However, every time something made me raise my eyebrows or roll my eyes I did read something that I really enjoyed. I could relate to the bond between Heather and her sister. Although Heather’s version of protecting her was a bit screwed I’m glad that relationship was focused on over the romantic relationship. Granted, it was building for the majority of the novel didn’t actually come into play until the latter end of the book. It made a nice change.

I’m torn. At times I thought it was exciting, and the themes of desperation and friendship were well written and developed. The beginning was fast paced and kept me reading, but it just got weaker. I couldn’t get fully attached to the plot because it was predictable and unrealistic. It’s so unusual to find a standalone not-dystopian young adult novel currently, and I commend Lauren Oliver for that. I honestly feel confused over how I feel about it, and have found it difficult to put into words – 3/5 stars.

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*review copy c/o netgalley

 

** Blogger's Bookshelf are holding The Literary Oscars this month!! To vote click here. Remember to check Blogger's Bookshelf on the 15th March to see if your favourites won!**

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life - Bryan Lee O'Malley | Review

Scott Pilgrim is a series of graphic novels which has been popular for quite some time. There was a (really quite good) movie adaptation, it got republished in colour, there has been six or something volumes... it's popular. However, it's taken me quite a few years to finally pick up the first volume, but because of it's popularity I was expecting good things.

For the most part, I enjoyed it. It's a fun and light read, although it took me a while to get invested in it. I disliked most of the characters, although I think to an extent that was intentional on O'Malley's part. It's very much the setting up of the world, and the story and nothing really 'big' happens until right until the end. However, those last few pages definitely made me want to read the next book in the series as soon as my library request comes through.

I do wish the library had the new colour version of the book though, just for my own selfish reading reasons!

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The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead | Review

Please note: This is not a spoiler free review

The Fiery Heart is the fourth book in the Bloodlines series. Richelle Mead has a wonderful knack of ending books right at a point where you desperately want to know more, so it's fair to say that I've anticipated this instalment in the series since the moment I closed the third book, The Indigo Spell.

This is the first book in the series that is very much Adrian Ivashkov's story. It's half told from his point of view, and the part of the story that excited me the most was Adrian struggling to meet his potential while dealing with side-effects of spirit magic. 

Sydney has been an incredibly hard character to like throughout the series, but she's always been perfect to Adrian. And in this book, you start to understand why. Towards the end she gathers her courage to an ending which was quite remarkable (although we all knew that the Alchemists were going to attempt to re-educate at some point since it was mentioned in the first book, right?) and I did feel my heart tug when Adrian realised she was gone. 

The introduction of Zoe in this book was an incredibly interesting development, and obviously structurally-important as she is the one that shops Sydney in to the alchemists, but I do feel like the character of Zoe could have been developed more. Adrian and Sydney got a lot of much-needed time together, but I do feel that some of this sacrificed time for us to get to know Zoe. That being said, we know enough about Zoe to know she is everything an alchemist should be - prim, proper, and hates anything supernatural. As you can probably tell, I'm not sure how I feel about the whole Zoe thing. I wish she was a bit more than a means to an end for a plot for one story. But you never know, she might have a change of heart and bust Sydney out of re-education in Silver Shadows. (I doubt it).

All in all, Richelle Mead has created another book that I adored. She left me hanging on a thread the whole way through and I adored it. I can't wait for Silver Shadows (released 29/04/2014).

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Wonder by R.J. Palacio | Review

At the age of 10, August Pullman has gone through 27 surgical procedures. Every day, he deals with stares and whispers and has never gone to a mainstream school. That all changes when August is enrolled into Beecher Prep at the start of a new school year.

August is thrown into a new, unknown world where he must navigate friendships, school bullies and school lessons. Wonder is split into parts, narrated by August and other characters whose lives he has touched. Through this method, you get to see the impact August makes on the world and those around him through different pairs of eyes.

August is a character who shows remarkable strength and bravery throughout the book. However, August is a child. An extraordinary child, but a child nonetheless. He can be stubborn, petty and selfish, just like any 10 year old boy. And part of Augusts struggle is convincing his new classmates that he's just like them, despite the appearance.

Let's face it, we've all had times in our lives where we have walked past somebody who looks different to us, and had to do a double take. Wonder is a beautiful lesson in tolerance and acceptance. It's a book you connect with on a deep, human level, that makes you want to be a better person. I would honestly encourage everybody to read this book, and I would challenge them not to feel a little bit changed at the end of it.

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