We thought it would be cool to compile a list of all the books we’ve been sent to review! There are probably a few missing, but here are the majority of them! We’re so thankful for all of the opportunities we’ve been given as a result of starting our Youtube channel and this blog!
The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Published by: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Pages: 496
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★.5
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I re-read the first two books in the series to prepare for this one and they were really fast reads. Probably because I already knew what to expect from The Winner’s Curse and The Winner’s Crime but I had a lot of expectations for this. While I thought it was a good ending to the series, I was a little disappointed with the trajectory of the book.
Continue reading “Review: The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski”
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Harper Collins
Pages: 403
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★
We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Radio Silence was one of our most anticipated releases of 2016. After Solitaire made it to the top of our favourites list in 2015, we couldn’t wait to see what Alice Oseman would write next. Solitaire established her as an author that understood teenagers and what they went through on a daily basis, the struggles and the successes. Radio Silence continues this trend, and includes messages about doing what you really want to do, regardless of what others expect from you and sometimes what you think you’re future should be, isn’t what it will be, and that’s OK. After reading, we’d consider Radio Silence a necessary read for any teenager stressing about university and school expectations. Basically, the book asserted that everything is normal, and completely fine, which is exactly what teenagers need to hear.
We went out and bought copies of Radio Silence, before we received copies from the publisher and this is definitely a book I’m happy to own more than one copy of!
Because we loved Radio Silence so much, this review will be a list of everything we loved and why we loved it. Different to usual, but a gushing review is always a pleasure to write. Continue reading “Review: Radio Silence by Alice Oseman”
Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Romance
Published by: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 336
Format: ARC e-book
Rating:
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
There’s nothing we love more than summer. The weather’s been super nice recently, tricking us into thinking we’re closer to June than we are! So, to fuel those summery vibes, we started reading Summer Days and Summer Nights, because if there’s one thing better than summer…it’s romance! Each story is individually rated, so check it out!
We tried to match the couples to the authors, so here’s the key!
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Genre: Fantasy
Published by: Faber & Faber
Pages: 320
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★★
It seems like this book has exploded everywhere in the booktube and blogging community and I’m so glad I get to review it because it was a fast-paced desert adventure! At first I was hesitant about the setting, because I read A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston and really didn’t enjoy it, but everyone raved about The Wrath and the Dawn, which I’m yet to read and after reading this will have to read straight away!
There’s just something about the mysteries of the desert that make it the perfect backdrop for a magical fantasy. Alwyn Hamilton has such a beautiful way with words that Ipulled me in from the very beginning. I swear, if I didn’t have university commitments I would have read this in one sitting.
Continue reading “Review: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton”
A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy
Published by: Titan Books
Pages: 508
Format: ARC Paperback
Rating: ★★★★.5
Series: A Darker Shade of Magic
I received this book from Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.
After LOVING the first book, I knew I was in for a treat with this one, and what can I say? V.E. Schwa is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors, and I will be investing in pretty much all of her other stuff soon!
A Gathering of Shadows is the absolutely magical and tantalising – there’s a lot of teasing! – sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic. And if you, like me, had no idea where the series could go from ADSOM, then I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by this direction. A Gathering of Shadows comes with added pirates, stress and a dangerous magic competition.
I have truly and completely fallen in love with this series and V. E. Schwab’s writing, could it have been 500 pages longer?
Continue reading “Review: A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab”
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published by: Puffin
Pages: 400
Format: e-book
Rating: ★★★.5
I received this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not normally a reader of historical fiction, but after our lovely friend Casey, from ABasketCaseyReads on BookTube did a non-spoiler review of the book, I was intrigued enough to want to read it. It’s set in World War II, and the UK GCSE curriculum just loves to teach teens about that, so I know quite a bit about it (not, unsurprisingly, much about the events that inspired this book, however.) It also has four different perspectives and really short chapters, which are normally things that make me love a book more. Continue reading “Review: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys”
Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling
Published: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 369
Format: e-book
Rating: All individually rated
Let’s go through, one by one, my thoughts on all the stories collected in the Lunar Chronicles anthology, Stars Above. Spoilers: Marissa Meyer saves the best until last!
THE KEEPER – ★★★
This is a story of Michelle Benoit, when she’s given Cinder as a charge. We also get little hints of preteen Scarlet and it is the sweetest thing. I loved knowing more about her character, and what made her so important to Scarlet and the series as a whole. A worthy edition to the storyline!
GLITCHES – ★★★★
Cinder’s origin story, it does a really great job of showing Peony’s passion for her new sister, and Adri’s disgust. This is also satisfying. It deals with the root of Adri’s dislike and starts to show how Cinder is in such a subservient place at the beginning of her book. Glorious.
THE QUEEN’S ARMY – ★★
Wolf has a name??? This was also great. I’d read Glitches and this one prior to the anthology coming out, so I knew what to expect. Getting backstory to the Lunar army, and what caused such a rift between Wolf and his brother was important to understanding their actions in Scarlet. It fleshed out my knowledge of the army, and the lengths Levana was willing to go to ensure her ultimate power. It was really short, though, so probably could have been added as a backstory chapter in Scarlet itself.
CARSWELL’S GUIDE TO BEING LUCKY – ★
This was one of the weaker stories. Essentially, what we have here, is a tale of high school Carswell Thorne, being all flirty with girls who aren’t Cress. Of course, he didn’t know her at this point but it disturbed me to think of him with anyone else but my precious darling. We get a bit more information about his motives for wanting the Rampion ship and being a captain, but it’s a story I could have lived without.
WHEN SUNSHINE PASSES BY – ★
Again, I thought this one was weak. It’s the tale of Cress being taken to her satellite by Sybil. Nothing we didn’t already know, so it felt like a bit of a filler story. It’s a shame that the stories of my two favourite characters were the weakest, but Cress was my favourite of the main four books, so, I have that to be thankful for. Cress and Carswell are just the best when they’re together, and these two stories prove that.
THE LITTLE ANDROID – ★★★
This was the story that was most disassociated from the main gang, so if you’re interested in reading a The Little Mermaid retelling, in a sci-fi setting this is for you. Cinder makes a little cameo, but all together, it was a nice retelling of the Hans Christian Anderson version that worked extremely well. No voice box in the android to reason with the lack of voice? Excellent.
THE PRINCESS AND THE GUARD – ★★★★★
Now, apart from the final story, this was the one I was MOST interested in. It gave backstory for Winter, why she doesn’t use her magic power and how she got those three scars on her face (that do nothing to mar her beauty!) This is probably the story that’s most worthy of reading because I think it was one of the most excellent explanation of things we already found out throughout the series. Getting to see more of Jacin and Winter’s relationship is always a plus, and we knew from Fairest that they were close basically from birth. Such a lovely couple. What a great short story.
THE MECHANIC – ★★
Knowing what Kai was thinking when he first met Cinder was a dream of mine, and I’m glad it’s realised in this tale. It’s extremely short, but so is there first meeting, so…It was just lovely to see the little seeds of their relationship develop, and that Kai was interesting in her from the very beginning.
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW – ★★★★★
And here’s what I was waiting for. A WEDDING. OH MY GOODNESS. I was expecting it to be Winter and Jacin, immediately assuming it was a royal wedding, but I want all my babies to get married one day, so I wasn’t disappointed with any kind of union. And it was BEYOND cute. All the gang, in one place, my dreams literally came true. Marissa Meyer explained this short story as like fan fiction with her own characters, and I definitely got that vibe. Everyone deserves a happy ending, even if it’s two years after the end of Winter, and finally Cinder and her Prince are together forever after!
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Genre: Fantasy
Published by: Gollancz
Pages: 461
Format: e-book
Rating: ★★
Series: Graceling (#1) | Bitterblue (#3)
My advice to anyone wanting to read this series, would be to read it in chronological order, rather than publication order, because book two is not really book two. It’s a prequel. Why was this not mentioned anywhere on the Goodreads page?! At least on the cover in this review it says “companion to Graceling,” but who reads the small print? It seriously took away from my enjoyment of the entire books, because I was constantly waiting for my favourites from the previous book to pop up. Fire begins with a prequel featuring this guy called Leck, he doesn’t appear again until the VERY END of the story and only then did I realise that Fire was a prequel. And all that time I was thinking, where’s Katsa and Bitterblue, are we seriously not going to even mention them? Oh! It’s because they’re not even born yet.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Genre: Fantasy
Published by: Gollancz
Pages: 471
Format: e-book
Rating: ★★★
Series: Fire (#2) | Bitterblue (#3)
I was really looking forward to reading this series. It’s a fantasy, with magic and strong characters – sounds a lot like my favourite: Poison Study! Basically everything I love in a book like this. It also came highly recommended by one of my lovely booktube friends, Lea, it being her favourite series and all, but unfortunately I just couldn’t get into it! And here’s why:
Heart Full of Books 