Category: Reviews by Maddie

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

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The UnbecomingThe Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Romance
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 456
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Series: The Evolution of Mara Dyer (#2) | The Retribution of Mara Dyer (#3)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I first read this book at the beginning of 2014, and I can still remember the plot. That is probably the biggest compliment I could give a book, as a lot of YA plots seems to just float out of my head a month after I’ve read it.

Mara Dyer is probably one of the most interesting characters I’ve read about. I don’t think I fully understood the power she possessed at the beginning of the trilogy,. and only really appreciated her situation once I’d finished ‘The Retribution of Mara Dyer.’

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Review: The Sleeper and The Spindle by Neil Gaiman & Chris Riddell

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the sleeper and the spindleThe Sleeper and The Spindle by Neil Gaiman & Chris Riddell
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling
Published by: Bloomsbury
Pages: 63
Format: Hardback
Rating: ★★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon
Fairy tale retellings are one of my favourite genres. Actually, I’d go so far to say they are my favourite genre. So, when I noticed my school library had ‘The Sleeper and The Spindle’, a Sleeping Beauty retelling, illustrated by Chris Riddell (who I’ve loved since ‘Fergus Crane’) I had to drop everything I was reading and start this right away.

Firstly, I think overall this was a very original retelling of Sleeping Beauty, with a bit of Snow White thrown in for good measure. The subtle blend of the fairy tales was lovely and something I wasn’t expecting. I loved the role of the evil enchantress character and thought the plot was very plausible, and pulled off without manipulating the original tale to an extreme.

The artwork was consistently beautiful, I adored the golden accents and the simple strokes of the illustration. Riddell has such a defined style which perfectly paralleled Neil Gaiman’s writing.

Reading this retelling has interested me in picking up more of Gaiman’s works. I’ve only read ‘Stardust’, but know my library has a copy of ‘The Graveyard Book’ too. This tale felt very Grimms’ Brothers-esque because of the dark toned narrative.

For such a short book the characters were so strong and developed. I felt compassionate and empathetic for both the princess and the queen, and continue to love how females are given more of an active role in fairy tales without relying on princes.

A perfect little read. 5 stars.

Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

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18071739Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi
Genre: Sc-fi, Fantasy, Romance
Published by: Atom
Pages: 389
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★.5
Series: Under the Never Sky (#1) | Through the Ever Night (#2)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

The final book in this series seems to be taking itself more seriously as a sci-fi fantasy novel. We’re no longer in the throes of ‘does-he-like-me?’ but instead dealing with the threat of tyrants and the honour of self-sacrifice.

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Review: Ketchup Clouds by Annabelle Pitcher

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Ketchup-Clouds_300

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary, Letters, Romance
Published by: Orion
Pages: 251
Format: Hardback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

‘Ketchup Clouds’ is written as a series of letters to a man on Death Row, by a girl named ‘Zoe’, which is a name she gives herself to remain anonymous. The letters discuss her life up to and after a fatal event which she thinks she caused. Because of this, I thought I was reading from the perspective of a serial killer or something. That’s not the case.

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Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

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2282133Frostbite by Richelle Mead
Genre: Supernatural, Friendship, Romance
Published by: Penguin
Pages: 327
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★★★
Series: Vampire Academy
Where to Find: GoodReads | Amazon

The sequel to Vampire Academy was also going to struggle to meet my five star rating. ‘Frostbite’ near enough accomplished this goal. If possible, there was even more action and adventure in this book than there was in ‘Blood Sisters’ (although signficantly less exposure of Rose and Lissa’s friendship.)

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Review: Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway’s Ghost by Iain Reading

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kitty hawk 2Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway’s Ghost by Iain Reading
Genre: Adventure, Contemporary
Published by: Amazon
Pages: 298
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★.5
Where to Find:  Goodreads | Amazon

Kitty Hawk is fast becoming a prominent character among my bookshelves. In the sequel, Kitty doesn’t fail to impress with another jam-packed adventure.

This time, Kitty is in Key West, Florida, with more focus on her plane as a water vessel than as an air ship. The adventurer-detective discovers a crime. Some people are looting the seas, stealing precious treasure for the sea floor. It’s safe to say Kitty does a lot of swimming! (Isn’t the cover beautiful?)

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Review: Mind Games by Teri Terry

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18664167Mind Games by Teri Terry
Genre: Techno-fantasy, girl vs government
Published by: Orchard Books
Pages: 448
Format: ARC E-Book
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

If I was going to compare this book to any other, it would be Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve, because of the similarities in world-building. So, if you like your fantasy books to have a more technological feel, then this is the book for you. And if you’re read Slated by Teri Terry, you’ll be able to recognise similarities between the main characters. Continue reading “Review: Mind Games by Teri Terry” →

Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

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dream thievesThe Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Magical, Contemporary
Published By: Scholastic
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

It’s been nearly a full year since I read ‘The Raven Boys’…so I was a little bit ‘thrown in at the deep end’ when it came to understanding what was going on in this book. I couldn’t really pinpoint the ending of ‘The Raven Boys’ in order to get my bearings, but I think I did a pretty good job of understanding it all in the end.

This book focuses on Ronan, hence why he’s on the cover. I’d forgotten that he had a raven called Chainsaw, so when he was talking to it, I thought he was talking to an actual chainsaw and that he’d gone crazy. Turns out, I wasn’t that far off. Ronan has a super power. He can make things from dreams become a reality, like a Camaro, whatever that is.

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Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

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12813630The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
Genre: Supernatural, Horror
Published by: Little Brown Books
Pages: 419
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

On the cover of this book, there is a little sticker that says ‘Not Suitable for Younger Readers: Dark, Decadent and Seductive.’ If I was going to use any three words to describe this book, it would be those, and I definitely agree with the ‘you-wouldn’t-want-to-give-this-to-a-twelve-year-old.’

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Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

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14742334Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Published by: Harper Collins
Pages: 341
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Series: Under The Never Sky (#1) | Into the Still Blue (#3)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

It seems that my opinion of this series has drastically changed compared to my five star review of ‘Under the Never Sky.’ However, sequels never really sit well for me. I thought that this book was really just a filler, without much plot, to propel us to the finale ‘Into the Still Blue.’ Continue reading “Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi” →