Category: Reviews by Maddie

Review: Stella by Helen Eve

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StellaStella by Helen Eve
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Published by: Macmillan Children’s
Pages: 268
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Books about boarding schools are usually my kryptonite. I love the friendships that build between than characters as they dorm together and I adore the movie ‘Wild Child’ (along with every other 2007 Emma Roberts movie.) I thought that this book was going to be original. The first two chapters, which introduced the main characters made me laugh out loud. I had high hopes.

However, this book definitely peaked too soon. And by peaked to soon I mean from Chapter 3.  When I thought it was going to be original, I was completely wrong. This book is a ‘Mean Girls’ remake, tied in with ‘My Sister Jodie’ by Jacqueline Wilson.

The story line was divided between Stella, the Regina, and Caitlin, the Cady. I don’t need to tell who how the story goes. It was the classic ‘an-unpopular-girl-usurps-the-popular-girl-and-turns-the-social-system-on-its-head-but-then-just-becomes-popular-and-conceited.’ Along with a tragic back story that acted as a self fulfilling prophecy for Stella concerning her dead sister, Siena.

This book went back and forth between Stella being powerful and Caitlin being powerful. It disgusts me to think that schools could actually be like that, and people could dote on one girl or guy for recognition and reassurance of their own popularity. How does someone get to the position Stella held?

Urgh.

I would have liked this book a lot more if there wasn’t such a focus on appearances. Vanity and narcissism were huge themes throughout this novel – the fashion labels and references alienated me as a reader that isn’t well versed in fashion. I think that the characters were way too self involved and conceited, that they couldn’t see past their own trauma.

As for Stella and Caitlin as popular dictators of boarding school society, it is NOT OK to put down someone that isn’t carrying the latest Pucci Gucci Juicci whatever handbag. It is NOT OK to make other people feel like rubbish because they don’t have a lot of friends or they had braces or lacklustre hair.

I saw every ‘plot twist’ coming. If you’ve watched ‘Mean Girls’, you will to. For that reason, among with many others, I gave this book only 1 star. Seriously, I can’t give it any higher because I am against everything it stands for. Popularity is not the most important thing. Back-stabbing girls and fickle friendships are not what I want to read about.

If you want to read a book about boarding schools with good messages, read ‘Secrets of St. Jude’s’ series by Carmen Reid instead.

(Mild Spoiler) Review: The Body Electric by Beth Revis

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the body electricThe Body Electric by Beth Revis
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Published By: Scripturient Books
Pages: 482
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

‘The Body Electric’ is the first book that I’ve read by Beth Revis, and I can certainly say that I’m interested in reading the rest of her novels. This novel is a standalone, which definitely appealed to me, as with other sci-fi adventure novels, you can’t escape the dreaded trilogy. This meant that in 500-ish pages, Revis had to create a world, characters and a story, all while bringing it to a conclusion relatively quickly. Was it a success? So-so.

I felt like there were a lot of ideas within this book. Ella, the protagonist, had the ability to experience someone else’s ‘reveries’, a term used to describe a daydream or a memory that was particularly pleasant. She can also manipulate the reveries and use them as a way to look into people’s minds and the secrets they hide. Already, you get the feeling her power is going to be abused by the governing body.

There’s also the element of space travel and scientific advances. Her best friend is a soldier on the moon (sounds like a Doctor Who episode), her mother created the science of reveries and her father was employed in android and cyborg creation. Again, the potential for government intervention, and the use of these things for evil was prevalent.

There’s a freedom fiellaghter group called the Zuzanna, which is controlled by Ella’s love interest that she can’t remember because her own memories have been manipulated.

If that isn’t enough, it turns out that, SPOILER; (Ella is a science experiment herself.) You can understand why I felt like I was reading four different books at once. All of these ideas climaxed at the end, however, it left me feeling quite confused. The pacing was fast, which was great, and the chapters were short, which was greater, but the different plot points colliding was a bit clumsy.

I enjoyed what little romance was presented. Ella seemed like quite a strong protagonist, and very proactive in deciding her own fate and what she was happy doing. She came tojack the gradual realization that she wasn’t quite human well, although she did have the ‘I’m-a-monster’ syndrome, when she’d done nothing monstrous.

Whilst reading, I was able to pick out a few parallels with other novels, which added to the feeling that I was reading four at once. First, you’ve got ‘The Host’ parallel – the relationship between Jack and Ella resembled that of Wanda and Jared, as she couldn’t remember a previous relationship with him, so he was romantically frustrated. Second, was ‘Cinder’ and the ‘Lunar Chronicles’ in general, with the inclusion of androids and cyborgs as subhuman and the lunar army. Bit of ‘Hush, Hush’ and ‘Vampire Academy’ with the emphasis on communicating through dreams and out of body experiences. ‘Fearsome Dreamer’ and ‘Under the Never Sky’ made an appearance because of the conventions of the genre.

I haven’t read that many sci-fi-adventure-romances, however it’s definitely a genre that I want to read more of. However, I’d be more interested to read a book that didn’t conform to the ‘girl vs. government’ category. Seriously, one girl having the power to take down a whole government system, that had previously been in place and working for years? It’s becoming a cliché.

Overall, I’d give ‘The Body Electric’ 3.5-4 stars. I haven’t quite made up my mind. I enjoyed it immensely, yet on reflection, I was able to pick out the faults a bit more. The book was jam-packed and action filled, so definitely suitable for those that like a lot to happen in a novel, though it is 500 pages.

Review: How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

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how i live nowHow I Love Now by Meg Rosoff
Genre: Apocalyptic, Romance
Published by: Penguin
Pages: 194
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I wanted to read this book for ages. It wasn’t until after I watched the movie, starring Saoirse Ronan, that I really wanted to read it. I’m not going to talk about the differences between the movie and the film, as I don’t want to spoil anyone but if you’re interested in a ‘based on’ movie, instead of a very faithful adaptation, then definitely watch the movie!

So, the premise of this book is that a girl called Daisy is shipped off to the UK to live with her rag-tag cousins because of family conflicts. (More accurately step family conflicts.) The cousins, Osbert, Edmond, Isaac and Piper (Rosoff had to choose the most unusual names for the family!) have been living without adult supervision for a while because their mother is an important figure in the war circuit. It just so happens that Daisy’s UK excursion happens the same time World War 3 does. Go figure.

I really enjoyed the first…third of the book where we got to know the relationships between the characters, and what role they all played in keeping the family alive and together. A romantic relationship forms between Daisy and Edmond (which, if read into, is weird, but Game of Thrones is weirder) and Piper is a little cutie. The cousins easily accept Daisy into their clan and they have a jolly old time together in pre-war country Britain, running around in field and swimming in lakes.

But happiness doesn’t last forever. Obviously, something bad was going to happen. Five kids couldn’t live without adults without someone noticing. So, the five get split up, girls and boys separated and evacuated across the country. Daisy and Piper struggle to acclimatise to their new environment, however, I think they both deal with it pretty well. Not a lot of terrible things happen to them, except witnessing some guy getting his face blown off.How-I-Live-Now-DVD Oh, now it seems the war is serious.

One thing I will say for the film is that it is all much more dramatic. The book could potentially be described as slow paced (and it did take me a while to read, despite in being just over 200 pages) but there is always something going on. I think the book improved once Piper and Daisy were on the move, trying to return to their country paradise. Our survival seemed realistic (although I haven’t had to live in the woods for days), as did their chances of returning home.

I like Part Two of the novel, which offered some closure and a conclusion to the story, ending with ‘that’s how I live now’, so you really understood where the title came from! All the characters had personality and everything felt somewhat resolved with as little heartbreak as possible. For a debut novel, it was fantastic. I would definitely read this again, which is the highest of praises. Overall, I’d give this book 4 stars, the fifth star removed as I was expected more, but that’s what comes with watching the movie first!

Review: Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

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Sapphire Blue bsapphire bluey Kerstin Gier
Genre: Fantasy, Time Travel, Historical, Contemporary
Published by: Square Fish
Pages: 354
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Series: Ruby Red (#1)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Because I was so involved with ‘Ruby Red’, I just had to read the next book, ‘Sapphire Blue’, straight away! This, again, took me about a day to read for similar reasons as the first book  – just so much happens!

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first, however, and here’s why: the romance. Gwen and Gideon were suddenly the loves of each other’s lives. It all seemed a bit sudden, seeing as Gideon thought that Gwen was annoying and immature to start with. The story line remained quite down to earth, in the case of Gwen getting jealous of Gideon being with Charlotte, which made me realise this isn’t just a book about time travel; it’s also about teenagers.

Some of the things Gwen moped about seemed a little melodramatic for the situation, but you could tell that she’d definitely gotten more confident with her role as a time traveller. Lesley, possibly my favourite character, didn’t have as big a role to play, which was upsetting, but the addition of Gwen’s gargoyle demon ghost thing made up for the loss of Lesley’s humour.

I really loved how little things from ‘Ruby Red’ were explained. As I said in my previous review, Gwen could see and talk to ghosts. She is also linked to the raven, as all time travellers are linked to an animal. Ravens themselves are birds that bridge the gap between life and death (duh, I should have guessed because of Vampire Academy!) so that explains why she has these supernatural powers! Everything became relevant, at least, which now improves my thoughts on ‘Ruby Red’.

I don’t think I understood why this book was called ‘Sapphire Blue’. Lucy, the lost, rogue time traveller, is the sapphire, but she wasn’t a main staple of the plot. Gwen and Gideon were the carbohydrates of the book, whereas Lucy and her partner Paul were more….the dairy. Not as present. Not as necessary. Did Gwen even wear a blue dress? I was expecting a little nod to the first book, where Gwen spots her older self kissing someone at a Rococo ball, but that didn’t happen.

Similar to its predecessor, this book ended at a point where you were desperate to know more. A revelation had been made about Gideon’s and Gwen’s relationship, which kind of explained the instant romance, so I’m looking forward to how their story unfolds in the third and final book.

I’m hoping for a big showdown between the time travels and the maybe-evil Count. Fingers crossed.

Overall, I’d give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars, because I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first book. The plot didn’t have as much excitement and some of Gwen’s personality traits grated on my nerves. I have high hopes for finale of this series – it may make the favourites shelf!

Review: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

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Ruby Rruby reded by Kerstin Gier
Genre: Fantasy, Time Travel, Historical, Contemporary
Published by: Square Fish
Pages: 322
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★
Series: Sapphire Blue (#2)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I didn’t go into this book with high expectations because Bee didn’t immensely enjoy this book. However, due to my love of ‘Under the Never Sky’, I realise we have quite different opinions!

‘Ruby Red’ caught me completely by surprise. I didn’t know what to expect, with the time travel element and all the other lore that went into this novel, like the gemstones, the birds and the musical notes. I thought it would be all too bitty. However, I was completely wrong. I fell in love!

This book does not stop. There is always something going on, whether for a chapter or a paragraph, this book was full of content – hence why I couldn’t put it down and read it in one day. Even though the chapters are long, which normally puts me off a book, I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what would happen next.

The characters are loveable. I really liked the fact that Gwen, the main character, had told Lesley, her best friend, about being a time traveller. It completely cut out the cliched ‘you’ve been lying to me, betrayal of trust’ storyline that I’ve read all too many times. Lesley was quirky and realistic – wouldn’t you Google search everything your friend dug up about the eighteenth century?

There were so many little things that I can’t wait to be elaborated on in the next two books. Like the possible rivalry between Charlotte, who was supposed to be the next time traveller, and Gwen, who turned out to be the real time traveller. Or the magic element. Or Gwen being able to see ghosts! Like I said, this book is choc-a-block with cool things.

Bee did say that there was some romance that came flying out of nowhere. I do have to agree that the romantic feelings between Gwen and Gideon, her male counterpart, were slightly forced, however romance really didn’t contribute much to the plot of this book. It was purely action and adventure…you know through time and space.

I thought it was especially nice to have the book set in England, despite being originally written in German. I love it when I can recognise locations in novels! The translation aspect of the book was almost flawless, with only a few irregular word phrasings, on the other hand, if it didn’t tell you on the end pages that this book was translated, I never would have known.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars, because I loved it, but 5 out of 5 stars seems like a stretch. This book isn’t ‘Mark of Athena’, after all. However, I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes historical fiction, Cassandra Clare style, and those that want a quick, fun read!

Review: A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani

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A World WithoA-World-without-Princesut Princes by Soman Chainani
Genre: Fairy-tale Retelling, Middle-Grade
Published by: Harper Collins
Pages: 443
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I absolutely adore fairy tales – especially retellings, hence why I’m  devoting six months of my life to studying them for my EPQ. So, when I discovered ‘The School for Good and Evil’, there was no way I was going to leave the store without it (and the covers are the most beautiful thing, like, forever after.)

I devoured the first book extremely quickly and was hungry for more, more, more of Agatha and Sophie’s tale, so I couldn’t be more delighted with the sequel ‘A World Without Princes’ when I got the chance to read it.

‘A World Without Princes’ is about how the School for Good and Evil changed once Sophie and Agatha escaped the Endless Woods and got their assumed ‘happy ending’, with Agatha choosing friendship over the love of Prince Tedros. The two girls proved that happy endings could be achieved without princes (not like you didn’t get that from the title or anything) so it seems the fairy tale world changed the past, present and future to reflect this new feminist movement.

However, Agatha understands better than anyone that a world without princes isn’t that great, and not just for the selfish reason that she wants true love’s kiss (it’s the most powerful magic of all, you know.) I like to think of this book as a social commentary on the disadvantages of ‘man-hating’ feminism and how actions can be misinterpreted. This book definitely took the patriarchal rivalry thing to a whole new level: to the death!

Agatha and Sophie face many moral problems throughout this book. Is Sophie Evil? Is Sophie Good? Does Sophie still love Tedros? Mostly, it’s Agatha worrying about Sophie’s intentions, because the first book in the series proved that we shouldn’t always trust the sugary-pink princess. Yet, I really loved how tormented Agatha was over Sophie’s true being (gosh, that sounded Evil – I’m Good, I swear…OK now I sound like Sophie.)

Although Sophie may be walking a fine line between Good and Evil, she always tries to be Good in her heart. This is what makes her my favourite of the pairing, just because you never know which of her natures is going to pull her next action.

One thing I can say about this novel is the FRICKIN’ PLOT TWISTS, MAN! I swear for the last fifty pages, I had no idea how Agatha and Sophie’s story was going to end. I was, and I kid you not, literally on the edge of my seat (furnished with a Sleeping Beauty pillow) with anticipation. Was Agatha going to choose Tedros or Sophie? Was Sophie going to becoming an evil hag-witch-monster?  What was going to happen to the School Master, or the genuinely evil Dean? WOULD THERE EVER BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER?!

Well, the answer to that is no. Soman Chainani ended the novel with THE EN. THE EN!! If anything, this makes me incredibly happy, because it means Agatha and Sophie’s story isn’t over. I mean, surely, their story can’t end where it did! Agatha and Sophie were the epitome of friendship, ignoring their differences, the perfect pair. I CANNOT deal with this being ruined by some blond King Arthur wannabe. Ugh.

Summer 2015 needs to get here sooner. I NEED the next book as much as Agatha and Sophie need the Storian to finish writing THE END to their story. Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars, because I did find some parts repetitive which irritated me slightly, but generally this was the perfect sequel to a brilliant fairy tale with a twist.

Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

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The Darkest MindsThe Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Genre: Supernatural, Apocalyptic
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 488
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★.5
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

So, we had two copies of this book, and this normally means that we love the book so much, we just can’t share it. Let me tell you now that the fate of the second book is not looking good and does not at all parallel that of the second copy of ‘Fangirl’ by Rainbow Rowell and ‘Anna and the French Kiss’ by Stephanie Perkins.

We’ve had the first book on the shelves for a while. There was a lot of hype surrounding this book a while ago, but we let it die down before we decided to read it. Then, the third and final book in the series, Into the Afterlight, came out a few days ago, and suddenly everyone’s ravenously reading this series like a slice of fresh cake.

I was not impressed.

The premise sounded good. The title was intriguing. I thought it was going to be so much more than it was, when really all the book amounted to was a waste of 488 pages. The journey the main character goes through is circular and ridiculous, leading me to question why I invested the time into reading something I didn’t enjoy.

Ruby, as a main character, held all of the tropes of a protagonist I do not like. Number One being that she was adamant she was a ‘monster’ because of her powers. Number Two being that she was victim of an instant romance that hit you in the face like a bus (and was just as unwelcome.) She had a case of I-only-develop-a-personality-200-pages-in syndrome that did nothing but demotivate me from finishing this book.

How did I do it, you ask? I don’t know.

I had a number of problems with this book, like the irrational pacing and the insta-love but nothing annoyed me more than the dimensions of the Black Betty van. From the description (which is lengthly to say the least) this van is at least the size of a bungalow. Somehow the people in the front seat couldn’t see Ruby hidden in the back seat, because the back seat acted as a living-room-bedroom that was six metres long.

I didn’t understand what was happening a lot of the time because the important and fast paced scenes were so short and underdeveloped. I didn’t understand the use of the ‘fade-to-black’ technique that left the reader guessing whether Ruby was sexually harassed by this jerky expletive guy. I certainly didn’t understand why Zu, one of the main characters, had to leave, or the fate of Chubs, another of the main four.

And, talking of the jerky expletive guy, I completely saw his plot twist a mile off. DO NOT TRUST anyone but yourself is the advice I would give to any dystopian novel participant.

As I can’t think of anything I particularly liked about this book, I’m going to leave the review there, because my hate fire is too stoked to continue. HOWEVER, part of me wants to know how this series could possibly progress, so if I subject myself to that, I’ll be sure to let you know of my opinion. Overall, I give this book 1.5 stars, redeemed by the shopping sequence and the traumatising back story that was the only event in the book that made me feel any emotion but irritation.

Review: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

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Why We why we broke upBroke Up by Daniel Handler
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Published by: Little Brown Books
Pages: 354
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon
Wait, there’s going to be a movie?! How very ‘The Spectacular Now’.

There were a lot of things about this book that really jumped out at me. I love the title, how to the point it is. You definitely know what you’re getting with this one. I love the addition of pictures. That extra element just adds originality to the story but also enhances it so much. It definitely wouldn’t be the same without the beautiful pictures.

The novel follows Min, short of Minerva, Roman goddess of knowledge, as she explains the stories behind all the items she put in a box to deliver to her ex-boyfriend, Ed. Min is “different”, but only to someone who’s life is filled with basketball games and getting drunk at house parties. Ed is “different”, but only to someone who loves old movies and sitting in coffee shops. The point is, Min and Ed were two very different people and therefore not suited to each other in the eyes of their unsupportive best friends.

But if someone tells you you’re not right for someone, you’re going to do all you can to prove you are, right? Somehow, Ed changes when he’s with Min and I really liked how he was willing to change and try new things but I hoped that the developments he made with Min, such as not using ‘gay’ to describe things (urgh, those people actually exist) would translate into his basketball life. They didn’t. Away from Min, he was still the same guy with a string of angry ex-girlfriends who were more than willing to be his shoulder to cry on.

Min’s relationship with Ed, very realistically, alienated her from her friends, which is never the right thing. She didn’t grow as Ed did, but she definitely matured. I loved her realisation at the end of the relationship that there was nothing ‘different’ about her, and that was just a label given to her by ignorant teenagers that were to involved in their own lives to be bothered about anyone that didn’t resemble their personality. (I like to think of this book as a book about doomed romance but also a social commentary.)

I particularly enjoyed the beginning of the book, when Ed was innocent and so was Min. The way their relationship blossomed was lovely, if a little bit fast paced but I guess that’s the cliche of young love. However, once you get to know Ed, you realise he is the ‘jerk bastard prick’ that Min describes him as.

I thought that the actual break up was slightly anticlimactic. I wanted their to be a huge fight, with not just Min arguing at Ed. She, at the very least, needed to punch the guy for what he did. Two punches, even. Heck, she needed to invite her friends to help her beat him up.

Overall, I’d give this book four stars. The pictures and short chapters helped to push me through the novel in a very addicted fashion, as well as helping me to guess what was going to happen next. Daniel Handler’s irregular writing leant itself well to the style of this book: a long and slightly rambling explanation of a teenage break up from the girl’s perspective. I’d be really interested to read this book also from Ed’s perspective, with different items, but only to a certain extent because he was a dick.

I think this book definitely did its job, because if that was what a break up felt like, I never want to love.

Review: Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly

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Rogue WavROGUE-WAVEe by Jennifer Donnelly
Genre: Supernatural, Adventure, Romance, Middle-Grade
Published by: Disney Press
Pages: 320
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★★
Series: Deep Blue (#1)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Most importantly, what a beautiful cover.

‘Rogue Wave’ had a lot to prove as the sequel to ‘Deep Blue’, a book that became less impressive as it continued on. ‘Deep Blue’ ended at a very climatic battle, with the six mermaid friends swimming into a mirror in order to escape from the hands of the enemy. I thought we would be instantly thrown back into the action at the beginning of this novel, but was severely disappointed.

The book began with the six mermaids having parted ways (when previously they’d been told they were strongest when together) and only three out of the six mermaids had a prominent role in this story; Sera, Neela and Ling. Becca, Ava and Astrid were hardly mentioned, and since we didn’t really get to know them at all in the first book, I was frustrated that they were still minor characters. Heck, calling them minor characters is an overstatement: they were basically non-existent.

I was especially surprised that the mermaids had split up to go on their quest, because, yes it would be quicker if they went their separate ways, but the blurb promised me an adventure with all six mermaids. There was no way I wasn’t going to be put out at their absence if I was expecting them all to be equally present.

Sera, Neela and Ling (and I assume the other three) are trying to find talismans that link to their Antlantian ancestors in order to defeat the villain of the novels and reclaim their realms. The third person narrator lent itself well to this story, as we were able to focus on both Sera and Neela as they were split up. Overall, I preferred Sera’s part of the story. Although a lot of what happened to her was very convenient (Oh no, I’m going to be attacked by death riders, oh look, there’s a secret safe house! Oh no, this ghost woman is going to kill me, oh look, this diamond is helping my life force! Oh no, my true love is a horrible person, oh look, he loved me all along!) there was a lot more adventure compared to Neela, who spent most of her sections just running away from different threats – and when she did do something adventurous, like defeat a sea dragon, it was only dwelled on for about a page of the novel. Brilliant.

This book was just as pun-y as the last and especially liked the use of transparensea spells (how many transparensea pearls are there? Are they hard to find? If so, the stock must be seriously low) to get out of tricky situations. I definitely think that this book was better than the first as there was a lot more going on, however, it didn’t feel as bitty as the last book. Everything had some sort of purpose, which would later be explained and the ending wasn’t ridiculous.

If this is a trilogy, I think the next book as been well set up, and I look forward to finding out how Becca, Ava and Astrid did on their half of the quest. (A lot of days seemed to pass in this book and I found the time scale quite hard to follow between Sera and Neela, so hopefully that will also be resolved)

My expectations for this series is for it to only get better, as there is a battle coming up, and with the combined powers of the six mermaids, it’s such to be exciting. Overall, I’d give this book three stars, because the book didn’t deliver what was promised on the blurb and the convenience of the story drew away from the action and suspense. Definitely recommended to girls age 10-12!

Review: Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the R.M.S Titanic by Iain Reading

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Kitty Hawk andKitty Hawk the Tragedy of the R.M.S Titanic by Iain Reading
Genre: Adventure, Mystery
Published by: Amazon
Pages: 320
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Ever since I watched the 2007 Emma Roberts movie ‘Nancy Drew’ last month, I’ve been desperate to read a detective story. Kitty Hawk definitely fit the bill! I loved the idea that Kitty was a girl flying solo around the world, an Amelia Earhart heroine. It was all so original and well thought out – I couldn’t believe how it all came together.

I have to admit that when I read this book, the suspense of the mystery was just added to by having my Kindle read the story aloud. It was great to get to listen to the adventure as well as read it.

So, the story starts off with Kitty endorsing free sushi in a sumo-wrestler’s costume, and if that doesn’t completely drawn you in I don’t know what does! She is approached by a cute guy, Andrew, that acts as her love interest, to solve a mystery, as she’s built up quite a reputation for herself. (This is the fourth book in the series and I did not read books one, two, or three. However, this did not hinder my enjoyment of the novel at all, or ruin the plots of the previous books!) The mystery is all to do with the honour of a family, who’s reputation as been sullied because of the events of the Titanic disaster.

If there was one bad thing about this book, it was that it took a while for the minor characters to explain different parts of the backstory to Kitty. I’d say at least 25% of the total book is spent learning about different key events. (If ever I have to write an essay on The Titanic, Egyptian Hieroglyphs or Jack the Ripper, this book had it covered.) This did inhibit the flow of the novel, causing me to be able to split it into multiple sections instead of a continuous storyline. On the other hand, I loved the change of locations between London and Dublin.

My favourite scene was probably the jet-ski chase, which made the front cover of the novel. It was fast paced and full of tension, although the action was sparse because I think this book was more about thinking than doing. I didn’t really understand how old Kitty Hawk was meant to be throughout this series, as Andrew is described as a man, yet he becomes her sort-of-boyfriend. I’m guessing she’s about eighteen, because she can jet around the world by herself with no-one questioning her ID. When reading this book, I kept thinking of the Professor Layton games, because pictures, maps and diagrams are given in this book so the reader can try and puzzle out the mystery as Kitty does. That’s an aspect that really sets this book apart from the rest, along with the research material that is found at the back of the book which explains the inspiration for the events that transpire in the book and real Google searches!

Overall, I’d give Kitty Hawk four stars, because I did enjoy it immensely, however, the pacing was slow in many places which led me to put the book down and put off picking it back up again. I’d recommend this book to anyone that loves Nancy Drew, but wishes Nancy was targeted at a young adult audience!