Category: Reviews by Maddie

Review: Something In Between by Melissa de la Cruz

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28688476Something In Between by Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Mira Ink
Pages: 432
Format: e-book
Rating: ★★
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

I was really excited to read Something in Between because of the subject matter. It’s a shame that I read this one so soon after The Sun is Also a Star, though, as I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between the portrayal of illegal immigrants. Both authors took the same stance: that it’s unjust and an ugly term to describe people that have only done what was best for their families, and I think that message was the most powerful, but I wholeheartedly preferred Nicola Yoon’s take because it felt less romanticised. Let’s discuss… Continue reading “Review: Something In Between by Melissa de la Cruz” →

Review: A Girl Called Owl by Amy Wilson

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cover98899-medium.pngA Girl Called Owl by Amy Wilson
Genre: Fairy-tale, Retelling
Published by: Pan Macmillan
Pages: Under 300
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★.5
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Just from the blurb, I knew there was going to be a lot to like about A Girl Called Owl. It’s got a fairy tale retelling element to it, though the source material is some I’ve never seen tackled before, and it’s marketed as middle grade, which I’ve been trying to read a lot more of recently, so it feels great to read something up and coming from this genre!

Continue reading “Review: A Girl Called Owl by Amy Wilson” →

Review: A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard

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301972011A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Published by: Macmillan
Pages: 320
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★★★
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

After reading and loving Beautiful Broken Things (so much it made my top fifteen books of 2015 before it was even published) I was so excited with Sara Barnard’s next book. Now that I’ve finished it, the exact same thing has happened. This is pure gold (and bronze) and I don’t think anything I write now will do justify to just how beautiful this book is. But, I’m still going to try, so here are some reasons to love A Quiet Kind of Thunder!
Continue reading “Review: A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard” →

Review: Twelve Days of Dash and Lily

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31368214Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Published by: Electric Monkey
Pages: 240
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: 2.5 stars 
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Twelve Days of Dash and Lily is an unexpected sequel to Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares, one of the first books I remember reading when I first joined BookTube. In a way, I loved this book as just a nod to the nostalgic days of 2013, and when I was still in the habit of reading seasonal books in their appropriate season. (Will this finally be the year that My True Love Gave to Me is appreciated?) But what else did I enjoy…? Continue reading “Review: Twelve Days of Dash and Lily” →

Review: The Last Beginning by Lauren James

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24550848The Last Beginning by Lauren James
Genre: Sci-fi, Romance
Published by: Walker Books
Pages: 344
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★.5

The highly anticipated sequel to The Next Together is finally in my grasp! I’ve been looking forward to these time travelling lesbians since I heard the prologue of the book at Lauren and Alice Oseman’s joint signing event in April, and I can say, definitely, that the rest was well worth waiting for! What specifically, you ask? Well…

Continue reading “Review: The Last Beginning by Lauren James” →

Review: The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

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31244354The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
Genre: Sci-fi
Published by: HarperCollins
Pages: 437
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★
Note: We received this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Seeing as this book is blurbed by Cecily von Ziegesar and the model on the front looks like she belongs in Gossip Girl, I went in thinking I already knew the characters The Thousandth Floor was going to use. While there were a few surprises, this book definitely fit the initial stereotypes I had. A few months ago I managed to read four of the Gossip Girl novels before realising that was as much as I could take of spoilt rich girls. But, the intriguing opening, promising a thrilling ending, was enough to keep me turning the pages. Continue reading “Review: The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee” →

Review: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

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28763485The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Published by: Penguin Random House
Pages: 384
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★★
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It seems that all my favourite authors of last year are coming out with their next books around this time of year and I couldn’t be happier, because it means the last reading quarter is guaranteed to be a good one! Nicola Yoon’s The Sun is Also a Star is no exception. After giving her debut, Everything, Everything 5 stars, I had high hopes for this book and it didn’t let me down. In fact, let’s talk about why this cosmic romance was so wonderful… Continue reading “Review: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon” →

Review: A Step Towards Falling by Cammie McGovern

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A Step Towards30192048 Falling by Cammie McGovern
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Macmillan Children’s
Pages: 304
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★.5
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really like the fact that Cammie McGovern’s next book after Amy and Matthew contains another differently abled character. I hope that in her next books, I can always go to them knowing that they give a voice to a branch of diversity that isn’t often heard.

A Step Towards Falling is, and if you’ll excuse my Victorian Lit student voice coming through, a book about moral responsibility for other people. The subtitle pretty much explains that. If you see something bad happening to someone else, like Emily and Lucas witness Belinda being sexually harassed, and do nothing, it’s the worst possible thing. What’s so great about this book is how the characters defy stereotypes and go on a real journey to discover things about themselves they didn’t initially realise.  Continue reading “Review: A Step Towards Falling by Cammie McGovern” →

Review: Iron Cast by Destiny Soria

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cover91844-mediumIron Cast by Destiny Soria
Genre: Paranormal
Published by: Amulet Books
Pages: 384
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★.5

Set in 1919, Iron Cast is about best friends, Corinne and Ada, who have magical powers linked to the arts. When Corinne recites poetry, she can conjure illusions. When Ada plays the violin, she can bend your will and change your memories. Their friends, Saint, can pull objects out of what he paints. They are all hemopaths. Together, the girls work in Cast Iron, a club that’s kind of like a speakeasy, but hemopathy is sought, rather than alcohol. Because of their powers, they’re hunted, and the group hunting them down is closing in. The explanation is all great, and the world sounds like an interesting place, but while reading, I struggled to be interested by what was going on, no matter how glorious the girls’ powers were.  Continue reading “Review: Iron Cast by Destiny Soria” →

Review: The Amateurs by Sara Shepard

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31328386The Amateurs by Sara Shepard
Genre: Mystery, Crime Solving
Published by: Hot Key Books
Pages: 336
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★.5

I was really excited by the first couple of chapters of The Amateurs, because the concept was just so cool for a girl that wishes she was Nancy Drew. The main characters, Seneca and Maddy are both part of this online forum, Case Not Closed, that gives people access to information about unsolved, cold cases the police have given up on. Using contacts, members of the website are able to solve the unsolvable and play the detective.  Another of the characters, Aerin, whose sister Helena goes missing in the flashback that opens the book, posts a plea for help on Helena’s case. Seneca and Maddy, previously only friends online, meet IRL to answer the plea. It sounds super great, right? Well, after I kept reading, I grew slowly more incredulous and…dissatisfied? Here’s why: Continue reading “Review: The Amateurs by Sara Shepard” →