Review: Rite of Rejection by Sarah Negovetich

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Blog Tour BannerWe were given an ARC copy of ‘Rite of Rejection’ by Sarah Negovetich, curtesy of the author, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book and we hope it does well!

Rite of RejectionRite Of Rejection by Sarah Negovetich
Genre: Dystopian, Romance
Published by: Self Published
Pages: 320
Format: ebook
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

‘Rite of Rejection’ sounded to me like a mixture of ‘Matched’ by Ally Condie (and I’ve only read about 40 pages of that, so perhaps I’m not qualified to make that comparison) and ‘Branded’ by Abi Ketner and Missi Kalicicki. Nothing can describe it better than the blurb:

“Before you stands the future.”
Straight-laced, sixteen-year-old Rebecca can’t wait for her Acceptance. A fancy ball, eligible bachelors, and her debut as an official member of society. Instead, the Machine rejects Rebecca. Labeled as a future criminal, she’s shipped off to a life sentence in a lawless penal colony.
A life behind barbed-wire fences with the world’s most dangerous people terrifies Rebecca. She reluctantly joins a band of misfit teens in a risky escape plan, complete with an accidental fiancé she’s almost certain she can learn to love.
But freedom comes with a price. To escape a doomed future and prove her innocence, Rebecca must embrace the criminal within.

It’s safe to say that we both really enjoyed this book. As a reader, you were thrown straight into the world, and I really liked it that we were just submerged, without any convenient history lessons about the dystopian society. It meant that I could focus on the characters and their emotions, rather than trying to get the facts straight. This novel is very character driven – Rebecca is strong as protagonists go with a good moral code and a persistent dedication to her friends. Unfortunately, she’s also a hazard to society.

She is thrown in the PIT by the evil overlord of the realm, the Cardinal (which was a surprisingly religious title, but I guess that ‘Governor’, ‘President’ and ‘General’ have been done a thousand times before.) However, Rebecca adjusts fairly quickly, finding friends and a home in a matter of days.

The one thing I noticed when reading this whole novel was how difficult it was to pinpoint how long it had been since the last action scene. Rebecca and co. seem to spend the majority of the first half of the book eating or walking around outside. The monotony of the scenes reflected the life of the PIT Rejects, but also disorientated me when they were trying to escape.

Everything happened so fast. There was so much going on. As soon as one master plan was ‘complete’, another was devised.

The relationship between the characters were interesting. There are a few plot twists relating to these characters, which we won’t spoil, but it really added depth to the novel. I didn’t quite understand where the love triangle came from, but it all became clear as the plot progressed.

The ending was abrupt. I didn’t know what was going to happen, and apparently, I won’t get to know. Perhaps there will be a sequel that explained what happened after ‘The End’, because I need to know!

Overall, I’d give this book around 3.5 stars. Because I got a little confused towards the end, I deducted a star, and the ending left me feeling unfulfilled. Where’s the closure? I repeat: I need it! However, this did not hinder my enjoyment of this novel. It was a brilliant debut, and I look forward to seeing what Sarah writes next!

Enter to Win! A #RiteOfRejection Giveaway!

AGiveawayPrize description:
Chapter 17 tissues (because that’s when you’ll need them), a jumbo sized chocolate bar (a hot commodity inside the PIT), an orange scented candle (courtesy of Rebecca’s fondest memory from home, a dandelion pen (as featured on the cover), handcrafted Molly bag (named after the character responsible for sewing them in the book, these are the bags used extensively by the main characters), and a $10 Amazon gift card

Link to Giveaway, hosted on Rafflecopter: 
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NDJiNzM3Y2E1YzRlMDgzY2E2ZDg0Y2E3YWFjOTM4OjI=/

Author Information:

Sarah NegovetichSarah Negovetich knows you don’t know how to pronounce her name and she’s okay with that.
Her first love is Young Adult novels, because at seventeen the world is your oyster. Only oysters are slimy and more than a little salty; it’s accurate if not exactly motivational. We should come up with a better cliché.
Sarah divides her time between writing YA books that her husband won’t read and working with amazing authors as an agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency. Her life’s goal is to be only a mildly embarrassing mom when her kids hit their teens.
You can learn more about Sarah and her books at www.SarahNegovetich.com.


Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

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13564634The Selection by Kiera Cass
Genre: Romance, Dystopian
Published by: HarperTeen
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Series: The Elite (#2) | The One (#3)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I’ve heard a lot of people say that the main character, America, is annoying, therefore I went into The Selection with extremely low expectations and ended up really loving it. The Selection is basically a mix between The Hunger Games and the TV show, Take Me Out. Instead of fighting for your life, you’re fighting to become the next potential Queen, boyfriend is included, but dresses each sold separately.

Maxon was not what I was expecting at all, for a guy in a love triangle containing 35 people. Of course, he’s also in a love triangle with America and her ex-boyfriend Aspen, but that’ll probably be a bigger theme in the next book. Maxon is kind and gentle and has the makings of a great king, which means he isn’t exactly a fan of having to pick a girlfriend from 35 girls, as it means he has to break 34 hearts – although some of them could probably do with a knock to their ego. I’m not the biggest fan of the concept, because the love matches were basically selected because of their beauty over anything else, and America can be quick to judge with her backhanded compliments to some of the other girls, but overlooking that, it was a fun read!

America wasn’t as annoying as people said she was, but perhaps those comments relate to the next book. I actually thought she was quite a strong character in places, she really seemed in control of what was happening to her, even if she don’t enjoy it in the beginning. I didn’t really get into the story until America did, the beginning section where the majority of the narrative is world building was, although interesting, a little dull. The action really started when we got to the Palace and were introduced to the other girls.

I don’t know about you, but I certainly didn’t feel any remorse for any of the girls that left the selection, because I didn’t know them! Sometimes there would be an announcement that three girls has left and I’d never seen their names before! The only one that really had an impact was the first girl to leave, because it was quite the surprise. It’ll only get harder in The Elite, I assume, as we’ll actually know the girls who are leaving next time.

The development of the romance was nice, not too fast not too slow, but I didn’t like the idea of Maxon dating about fifteen girls in one go. There were mildly suspenseful sections, like the attacks from the Rebels, who we still haven’t seen yet. Their threat seemed a bit exaggerated, but I’m sure when we meet them later on in the series – which I presume we do – it’ll seem a lot more intense. I was intrigued by the Queen and her family, and would like to know more about her selection process, I think there is a novella from her PoV and I would definitely be interested in reeading it!

As for my favourite character, it was probably Maxon, and then America, and then the maids, because they were so adorable, and precious. The ‘surprise’ about Aspen was something I had guessed would happen as soon as the drafting was mentioned in the world building, but somehow the predictability of this book make it even more enjoyable. America was friendly to everyone, but her naivety about Aspen will definitely grind on my bones later on in the series, I can tell. For some reason, Aspen’s reintroduction has given America an element of choice, even though she likes Maxon and Aspen was a total douche canoe, oh my goodness, why.    Rant over. Other than that, I really enjoyed The Selection. Good world building, good characters, unfeasible but still okay concept and a gorgeous cover. Perfect.

I’m still not entirely sure how Kiera Cass has managed to make it so that one process splits up into three books, and I’ve only heard the worst of things about The Elite, the second book in the series. What confuses me even more is the fact that the title gives away the plot of the whole book! Well…basically. The concept of the ‘elite’ is introduced quite early on, when America explains how the process works, and it means the stage in the competition where there are only ten girls left. The One is obviously about the winner, and why the heck would an author write from the perspective of one of the girls that gets knocked out in the first round? Kiera Cass obviously doesn’t do this, so if we put two and two together we somehow end up with America as the one. Well, that’s my satisfaction with the series all wrapped up! I’m not sure if I’m going to bother with The Elite or The One, as I’m 99% sure my predictions are correct, and if The Heir is anything to go by, then just call me the Oracle of Endings. Maybe I’ll pick the series back up with The Heir, or at least wait for The Elite to be super cheap on Kindle. Four stars to The Selection, even though it was pretty predictable.

Review: The Illusionists by Laure Eve

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IllusionistsThe Illusionists by Laure Eve
Genre: Techno-Fantasy
Published By: Hot Key Books
Pages: 412
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Series: Fearsome Dreamer (#1)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I was so excited for the sequel to Fearsome Dreamer but somehow I managed to put off reading this book for months due to other reading endeavours. But I was so glad I waited to read this majesty of a book.

‘The Illusionists’ fulfilled my expectations of how this series was going to end. Of course, I had no idea how the series was going to end, Laure Eve has a wonderful way of keeping you guessing. I didn’t see any of the twists coming, which I was thankful for, otherwise I would have been heart broken.

I really think that both books in this duology have really branched out into a new genre. I’ve never really read ‘technofantasy’ before and now I’m desperate to get my hands on more, hence my newly found love for the ‘Under the Never Sky’ series. Rue is such a strong main character, the world building is excellent and you really know what Laure Eve was trying to create with this book.

I can’t talk that much about ‘The Illusionists’ without giving away HUGE spoilers, which I don’t want to do. If you’re interested in finding out what happens to these marvellous characters then you’ll have to read it for yourselves! However, I think that the cliffhanger that was tacked on the end of ‘Fearsome Dreamer’ perfectly prefaced this book. The monsters in the Castle and the threat to mankind was thrilling and really underpinned the whole plot.

The relationship between Rue and White reached its peak and I’m so glad that the two of them found happiness. They were the cutest things ever and just…meant to be! Everything I type must sound really subjective because I just love this series so much. Good just doesn’t begin to describe it.

For the first time in ages, I read a book in under three sittings. I swear, I read about two hundred pages way past when I should have gone to bed because I just couldn’t put it down. The action and the drama has you hooked throughout and the changing perspectives help to freshen up the setting and the pace of the book.

The only bad thing about this series is that it only consisted of two books. I would have loved for Frith and Oaker’s relationship to be explained more. I’d love to know more about the primordial gods that Rue and Angle Tar believe in. What happened with the technophobes? Some of the surrounding plot points seemed to have been forgotten as Rue, White and Wren tried to close the Castle and dispel the threats it was creating. I just need MORE! Thank goodness for fan fiction.

Overall, I’d give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I didn’t love it as much as the first book, but I did love the addition of actual romance, the emotional torment and the small amount of Cho’s perspective we were given. The epilogue (and Fernie) just threw me for a loop, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the whole thing for days after I read it. Definitely would recommend.

Sneak Peek Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E.Schwab

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A Darker Shade final for Irene

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy, ARC
Published by: Tor Books
Pages: 150
Format: ebook
Rating: ★★.5
Where to Find: Goodreads

I have heard nothing but good things about Victoria Schwab’s writing, and although I enjoyed the excerpt of A Darker Shade of Magic, I’m unsure on whether or not I would continue reading.

The concept is imaginative and original, if a little hard to keep up with. The majority of the sample that I read – which I think is the first 150 pages – is mostly world building. There are four different ‘worlds’ including White London, Red London, Grey London and the mysterious Black London, all of which the main male character Kell can transport himself too. Did I mention they were all different parallel universes?

There are two main characters, Kell and Lila, and I have to admit that I had to find the blurb of Godreads to actually understand what was happening, and who they were. Kell’s story was a lot easier to determine, but because Lila was dressed a guy, I’m still not entirely sure what her relevance is.

The ending was a definite cliff-hanger, and as a novel excerpt they definitely had a good cut point. Because there was so much world building, it was hard to really connect with any of the characters, so from that perspective I would be interested in the rest of the story, because I feel we’ve only scratched the surface of their personalities. Yet, for a 150  page excerpt I was expecting a lot more to happen, it feels like this was almost a pre-novel novella so that all the explanation is out of the way, and now the real story can begin.

Before I think about reading the rest of this novel, I think I should start with something like The Archived, just so that I have a better understanding on the author’s writing style. As I wasn’t overly invested in the plot or the characters, and because it was only a sneak peek, I’d only give this excerpt about three-ish stars.

Sidenote: the cover gets five stars.

Review: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

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Dark9943270 Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
Pages: 385
Format: ebook
Rating: ★★★★
Series: Grave Mercy (#1)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Dark Triumph is significantly shorter than Grave Mercy, exactly what I wanted! AND we got a new character perspective! I liked Dark Triumph a lot more than the first book in the series. I was so much more engaged in the story, and enjoyed the romance immensely, it didn’t seem forced or coincidental.

The pattern of the story was very similar to that of Grave Mercy, the only real difference being that in Sybella’s story her backstory is a slow reveal, which I loved. Much like Ismae’s story we’re thrown right into the action and there is little to no set up, but we know we’re with Sybella and that’s pretty much it. Sybella was briefly mentioned in Grave Mercy, but she certainly wasn’t a main character, and, of course, it took a little while to settle into her voice. She was in a similar court position as Ismae was in, but luckily Sybella’s personality was distinguishably different. Whereas I thought Ismae lacked a strong personality, Sybella had an engaging voice, that was only enhanced by the intriguing and haunting allusions to her past. Although Ismae and Dival did play a small part in the story, and it was nice to revisit them, Dark Triumph is very much about Sybella and Beast.

The beginning of the novel was relatively slow paced, but it build up Sybella’s lifestyle and her situation, which aided my understanding, as I still hadn’t quite gotten over the fact that we were just leaving the Duchess in Ismae’s hands, capable they may be, but I’ve learnt not to trust any one in the Breton nobility. After we were made to feel so strongly for the Duchess it did seem rather strange to suddenly be transported somewhere else, but what do you know! We were given two more sisters, one of them ill, to worry about! Yay! for His Fair Assassin tropes!

There was a lot more emphasis on the relationship side of things this time round, which compensated for the otherwise slow plot development. By far by favourite parts of the novel were Beast and Sybella’s exchanges, particularly when they visited the grave of Beast’s sister. Their relationship was bittersweet and, much like the plot, it was slow building. However, after reading plenty of instant romances this was a fresh perspective and I felt both deserved their happy ending – or was it happy? Was it even an ending, on that note? What was going on there? Am I the only one confused? Let’s hope things are explained in Mortal Heart, which I can’t wait to get my hands on!

Everything in this story was so well crafted, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so intrigued and repulsed at the same time! I never saw any of the plot twists coming, and was shocked by every single one of them – but that’s what I loved about this book, it had you guessing, it kept you on tender hooks. If I’d been looking hard enough, and thinking about it more than perhaps I was, then maybe I could have come to my own conclusions, but it was so lovely to be completely swept away by the story, as opposed to being too focused on conspiracy theories.

Overall, I would give Dark Triumph four stars – partly because I’m hoping to give that elusive five star to the final book in the series, just to prove that it gets better and better. I enjoyed the characters and the plot and cannot wait to see what happens next now that I have no idea who our villain could be!

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: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

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9565548Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
Pages: 549
Format: ebook
Rating: ★★★
Series: Dark Triumph (#2)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Grave Mercy is set in 1485 Brittany, and luckily – thanks to my A-Level qualification in Tudor History – I knew the context of this time. However, even if you don’t know anything about Tudor History, or what was happening in Europe at the time, then Robin LaFevers explains everything as you go! In her acknowledgements at the end of the novel she also gives you a more detailed backstory on what was happening, and I was really surprised that the majority of the characters were based off of real-life figures! Now, my forte is Henry VII, and I knew that Brittany was going to be absorbed by France eventually, you need only look at a modern map to find Brittany isn’t it’s own country anymore – is it a spoiler if it’s a historical fact? – which did sort of take something away as I knew that even though Duchess Anne’s nobility worked hard to ensure he political independence, it doesn’t work out in the long run.

It might seem like a ridiculous thing to want, but I really would’ve liked a bit more information on Henry VII and the HRE, because they were mentioned, but only briefly and their relationships with Britanny I wanted to have been cleared. but anyway, enough about history, let’s talk about the characters.

I loved the first section of Grave Mercy, where were given Ismae’s backstory. It made it easier to slip into the fifteenth century mindset, because even the writing style and the language used seems historically accurate. Ismae was a strong character, and I loved her moral journey of who to trust. I loved being in the convent for that short period of time in the beginning of the novel, and I don’t think I ever got used to being with the nobles. I think this was mostly because I was promised assassin nuns, but what I really got was one assassin nun mingling with a bunch of people with a political agenda. I love a good boarding school type book, so I hope in the sequels that there is more of a focus on the convent itself, rather than just the girls.

Dival is our love interest, and I felt that their relationship developed relatively slowly for my liking, until the end when it was like ‘ohmygosh this romance seems to have come out of no-where.’ I really didn’t want Ismae to fall in love with anyone, I wanted pure assassin awesomeness, for once it would have been nice for our protagonist not to get distracted by love – perhaps Dark Triumph will deliver on that?

One of my only qualms with Grave Mercy was its length. I felt like it dragged on incessantly in the middle, and got rather repetitive. Realistically I don’t think it needed to be over 400 pages at best, so I was delighted to find out that the sequel is significantly shorter. I suppose we can mark the length up to the fact that she needed to pack so much backstory into a short space of time (or long space of time, as it transpired).

I have to say that I didn’t see the plot twist/big reveal coming, so that’s good! The mystery certainly kept me reading in the slower sections, I just wish that their could have been even more action that there was, as the whole assassin thing really was downplayed at times, although we were always reminded that Ismae could kill someone.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot, even thought it was slightly dragged out, and the historical fiction element was definitely a fun one! Reading Grave Mercy made me realise just how much I enjoy historical fiction, and it’s probably my favourite historical fiction book I’ve read. I’d give Grave Mercy 3.5 stars.

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: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

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Days of B916WD5AWqbL._SL1500_lood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Genre: Fantasy
Published by: Little Brown Books
Pages: 513
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

This book has been sitting on my shelf for the longest time, even though I absolutely loved the first book, Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I’d put it on my Autumn TBR, however, so it needed to be read this month – which meant I had to read a 500+ page book after reading as many under 250 page novels as I could!

There was just as much mystery and plot twists in the sequel as the first book, which I was surprised abut, because I didn’t think there could be any more surprises. I’d say that Days of Blood and Starlight definitely isn’t your typical sequel, it was just as thought-out and just as gripping, and I only have high hopes for the final instalment. I’d say that although there were slow sections, they would seemlessly link into the faster paced action-scenes that mean I literally could not put the book down, even though it took some considerable deliberation to actually pick up the book in the first place.

Laini Taylor has a way of transporting the reader into an entiely different world. There are fantastical elements, but nothing is hard to believe and I absolutely love how different the world of the chimera is to anything I’ve ever read before. The world building is incredible, and the characters are beautifully written, so much so that it’s hard to say anything bad about it!

Karou is one of my favourite characters, and her relationship is Akiva is so complex. My heart was ripped in two in Days of Blood and Starlight, thanks to where the relationship cut off in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I was left wanting a lot more, but I think considering the circumstances that the ‘yes-no-maybe’ attitudes that Karou had were appropriate and understandable. For once I actually enjoyed the deliberation. What I loved most is that, whereas Karou is questioning, Akiva is not. He is completely resolute in his feelings, and it was refreshing to read such a devoted point of view.

I loved how well the third person work with the storyline. Reading Days of Blood and Strarlight is like being transported into a different world, and the third person perspective means that we can jump between the different viewpoints. At first I was sad that it wasn’t just Akiva and Karou, but I really loved the Zuzanna and Mik POVs as I definitely did not want to lose them. Also the minor characters’ perspectives were relevant, although at first it seemed like we were with them for no reason.

Overall, I can not wait until the final book in the series to come out in paperback, and I can’t believe I have to wait until March! Karou’s story is definitely one that I would recommend to any one.  Even if you’re not the biggest fantasy fan, you absolutely have to read the series for the amazing writing!