(Mild Spoilers) Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

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siegeSiege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Published by: Indigo
Pages: 386
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Series: Shadow and Bone (#1)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

The sequel to Shadow and Bone was just as good, if not better, than it’s predecessor. Again, with such a beautiful cover the writing can only be wonderful too. Although we weren’t left on a cliffhanger per say, in Shadow and Bone, and you could probably read the first book in the series and be done with it, I would not recommend a hasty finish. I hypothesized that Siege and Storm would be a ‘getting there’ book. By this I mean that it’s mostly travel, and there isn’t a lot going on. As with a few ‘middle’ books they just seem to serve the purpose of turning a duology into a trilogy. I have to say that I thought this was going to be the case up until half way through. There is pain. There is deception. There is heartache. There is some happiness, but not much so it makes for an intense read to say the least.

The way the story is told sucks the reader in completely. For a fantasy novel, I thought it would be quiet dense, but the first person narrative from our teenage protagonist still somehow manages to make murder and power plays upbeat. Who knew, right? Once again Alina proves to be strong and confident. She’s developed from the first book, but perhaps not in the way I wanted her to. But she can still work out what is right and what is wrong. She’s still got her moral compass in tact and she’s making decisions that benefit more than just her. For a girl who’s had greatness thrust upon her she’s working up to the image of Sankta Alina in an incredibly mature way. However, she is still a teenager and there is still room for improvement and lesson learning, which I can only hope accumulates in the final installment.

Siege and Storm starts on a boat. Sailors. Privateers. Perfect. We’re introduced to a new character ‘Sturmhond.’ I’ll admit that I kept tripping over the pronunciation when reading, but it wasn’t as bad as when I tried to sound out the Russian. I think the only word I mastered effectively was ‘sobaka.’ Sturmhond is something else entirely and one of my favourite characters. He’s exactly what the – rather depressing at that point, if I’m honest – plot line needed. He also acts as another tier to out love triangle. Seriously? Three guys in love with her at once? Apparently so.

I’ve already expressed my profound love for Mal, and was overjoyed to know that my prophecies for his future have not come true, at least for this book anyway. There’s still a chance that he’ll die in Ruin and Rising, and with the amount of death threats and how many times he’s been used as a pawn so far in this series, I would not be surprised. The relationship between Alina and Mal developed rapidly. It evolved. Alina is changing due to her increased power and I’m worried for her. I’m worried for what’s going to happen in the final chapter of her journey. Will she get the firebird? There is pictorial evidence on the front cover on Ruin and Rising to suggest that she does, but can she really handle it?

For a main character the Darkling was remarkably…not present, or at least not us much as previously. But as much as I feel it would be a betrayal to Mal, I think that Alina and the Darkling’s relationship is the one that I am interested in most, because the dynamic is just so different to anything I’ve read before. The powers pollute their relationship and I’m never entirely sure whether they’re using each other or if they genuinely like each other. As I’ve said, there is quite a lot of death and some of it is rather unsettling, but the betrayal of Genya was what had me cringing away from the story.

Overall, I’m looking forward to the progression of this series, because other than some character deaths I have no idea what is going to happen. I hope that Alina can somehow keep it together, and I hope that the new characters continue to surprise and liven up the story.

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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SShadow and Bonehadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Published by: Indigo
Pages: 308
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★.5
Series: Siege and Storm (#1) 
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I didn’t think I was a massive fan of fantasy, until I realized that the majority of my favourites were, indeed, fantasy. Which is why I am so glad that I picked up Shadow and Bone (although I may have been persuaded to do so because COVER LOVE.)

You’re chucked head first into the world, which even after finishing the book I’m not sure I completely understand. I guess I will just have to fill in any gaps by just rereading, and rereading, and rereading. But, on the other hand, in a fantasy novel that’s almost exactly what you want. You don’t want fifty pages of explanation, and I think Shadow and Bone almost had the ratio of plotline of to backstory completely perfect.

I really liked the main character, Alina, I thought she was head strong and she dealt with her new surroundings and situation extremely well, even though she’d just been horribly separated from her soul mate – we will talk about the ultimate cuteness of Mal later, don’t you worry. I loved being in the Little Palace, despite the Dark undertones (intentional pun.) Genya was also a wonderful addition, because when you lose one best friend then someone has to be there to fill in the slot.

The Grisha powers, although slightly hard to keep track of, were interesting and unique, and the concept of amplifiers kept the story going. I love it when protagonists are actually willing to learn new things, so Alina ticked that box for me. It was very reminiscent of Poison Study by Maria. V. Snyder, especially with the fight training and the alluring but dangerous love interest. I imagine Alina and Yelena being close friends, the similarities between these girls do not stop at the ‘lee-na’ suffix. I’m interested to see where the King ends up at the end of this series because treasonous talk was everywhere. I love some good forSHADOWing. (That one was unintentional.) I’m looking forward to the sequel immensely, and hope that it isn’t just going to be an ‘on-the-run’ sequel, as that could be mildly disappointing, but if necessary then so be it.

Mal. Where to begin? He was wonderful, and I’m so sad that he only had a cameo role in the first half, but was relieved when he was there full force in the final third. I’m quiet partial to a love triangle that is executed well, and liked this one even more because it wasn’t bittersweet as I do not like the Darkling. Well…maybe a little bit. I’ve prepared myself for the likely probability that Alina ends up with my less preferred candidate, but I still hold out hope for Mal. Maybe if he can’t be will Alina then a lovely secondary character will be introduced to pose as his new love interest. Or he dies. But I’d rather not think about that unfortunate scenario.

With such a raving review it might come as bit of a surprise when I say that my star rating is only 3.5 out of five. This is because there were moments were the plot got a tiny bit dry and I had to encourage myself to continue, this was made up by some plot twists and some plot gems that I was not expecting. Overall, I love the characters and am invested enough in their story to continue. Also, the 3.5 was a tactical decision as I have a feeling that the series is only going to get better so rather than saying the series plateaued at 4 stars I can say it was a beautiful journey of a rising incline in the star spangled rating system.

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

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Cinder by Macinderrissa Meyer
Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Romance
Published By: Puffin
Pages: 390
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I have recently become very interested in fairy tale retellings, and knew that there was a lot of hype surrounding the ‘Lunar Chronicles’ series by Marissa Meyer, containing four books: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter.

‘Cinder’, the first book in the series, is a retelling of Cinderella, who is my second favourite princess (the first being Jasmine from Aladdin) so I was super excited to dive into this book. I’ve never really read any science fiction before, but was intrigued by the cyborg/android element of the novel, which was a really good addition to the original tale.

One of the reviews in the front of the novel described ‘Cinder’ as a “fractured fairy tale”, which I think is the perfect way to describe it. There is no doubt that the content of the story is grounded within the fairy tale and your favourite parts can be found within this book, such as, the missing shoe (or foot in this case), the handsome prince, the wicked stepmother (politically correct term being ‘legal guardian’.)

Cinder, because of it’s sci-fi basis, is wonderfully fast paced. One of the story arcs is that there is this plague that is affecting the whole world and Cinder provides key scientific information about an antidote. This illness helped to add tension and fear to the novel, as Cinder’s sister, Peony, is claimed by the pestilence.

Both the reader and Cinder know little about where Cinder came from. It’s excellent to see her past unfold and her struggle with being a cyborg, a second class citizen that is bound to be looked down upon by the rest of society. There is quite a big twist in the story at the end, though the reader feels prepared for this, as they are fed little tidbits of information.

There are some extraterrestrials in the story, which want to wage war on Earth. (Seriously, there is so much going on, I can’t wait to read the next books in the series to see how it all pans out!) These aliens, called Lunars because they inhabit the moon, have brainwashing powers which can only lead to disaster.

All characters are wonderful. My favourites include Cinder (obviously because what’s not to love about that kick-ass girl?), her android friend Iko, who adds some light relief and the prince, Kai, who Cinder meets within the first chapter making for some great romantic tension all the way through the book.

It’s told in third person perspective, so a lot of the time the reader is with Cinder (the best place to be, she’s got a lot to do) but is sometimes in the presence of the prince, who has to diplomatically deal with the Lunars and their demands. Tough stuff.

My favourite part of the whole thing was probably the ball scene at the end of the novel. So much drama! So much excitement! What’s even better, there was no fairy godmother. Cinder went to the ball like a raggedy doll, with a foot that was too small for her and a dress coated in grease stains. Perfect. I loved how Cinder didn’t have to be beautiful like a princess and wasn’t treated like one. Don’t get me wrong, I love Cinderella, but it felt like Cinder was more deserving of a happy ending than she was.

What’s worse was that Cinder was left on a cliffhanger. The book ended in a ‘Darth Vader is Luke’s father’ kind of way before leaving Cinder imprisoned in the palace with a small hope of escape. I’m so glad that we’ll get to read more about Cinder and her *hopefully* happily ever after more in ‘Scarlet’. Speaking of which, Winter, Cress and a small mention of Scarlet was made within Cinder, leading to a few excited squeals from myself and Bee (we were reading this wonderful book together.) These small mentions will go a long way to ensure that the whole series flows together nicely from start to finish.

Bring on ‘Scarlet’!

Overall, I’d give this beautiful book five out of five stars, no question. It’s definitely made my favourites list and probably top 14 books of 2014 as well. I’d recommend this book to anyone who has read any Jackson Pierce books or just like fairy tales in general. They sure make for excellent reading!

Review: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

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Love Lettava-dellaira-love-letters-to-the-deaders to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Genre: Contemporary
Published By: Hot Key Books
Pages: 327
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Love Letters to the Dead was….definitely an interesting if not slightly unexpected read. I went into the book (obviously not literally) expecting it to be a more adult version of ‘Love, Aubrey’ by Suzanne LeFleur and came out the other side having read a parallel version of ‘Perks of Being a Wallflower’ where all the main characters are the opposite gender. Definitely not what I signed up for.

My lovely friend, Jasmine, recommended this book to me. Jasmine isn’t really an obsessive reader like I am, so for her to say it was ‘good’ was like me saying it was ‘the universe cannot exist without this book’ (as I did with the entire Percy Jackson franchise).I thought: “I love books about sisters.” ‘Fangirl’, ‘Sisters Red’, ‘…and unfortunately, I am used to one of the sisters dying…’The Lovely Bones’, ‘Love, Aubrey’. I thought: ‘definitely the book for me!’

Unfortunately not.

The book contained a lot of themes that I was uncomfortable with, for example, underage drinking and drug use. This meant that I felt quite isolated from the characters and didn’t feel like I could relate to them at all. Sad. I know that these themes can be a realistic portray of some teenagers’ lives, but to me, their actions were too toxic and led to bad decision that I couldn’t feel as much sympathy for.

However, this book also conquers a lot of themes that I feel need more exposure in young adult literature, for example, homosexuality and abusive relationships. (Can you see where I’m drawing the ‘Perks’ parallels?) These topics are always interesting to read because reading about something and getting these kind of subjects out there is fuelling social change. Although Hannah and Natalie’s relationship held the same troubles as Patrick and Brad’s, this didn’t take away from the struggles the girls faced, even if it wasn’t the most original relationship dynamic.

Some of my favourite parts of the book was when Laurel would write about May when she was alive and young. Their relationship was built around Laurel idolising May, and May having to keep up the facade of her perfection for Laurel’s sake. The way that May died, or the cause of her death, remains slightly ambiguous but I like to hope it was the wind that broke her wings. I was fully submersed in the world that May created, and wasn’t at all surprised about how Laurel reacted to her sister’s death because of their close bond. It must be difficult to be the younger sister. Thank goodness I’m a twin!

The reveal at the end of the book….disappointed me. As I’ve said, it dealt with an abusive relationship that was similar to what Charlie experienced in ‘Perks’. I wanted Laurel not to feel so broken, because she had the power to make herself whole and it wasn’t helping that she wouldn’t open up to the one person who truly cared about her, Sky, the love interest. Sky also knew May, so there was an intriguing question building between the couple of whether Sky liked Laurel for herself or simply because she resembled May (to be honest, Laurel was wearing May’s clothes.)

Overall, I give ‘Love Letters to the Dead’ 3 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed the letter writing format. There was nothing more rewarding than when I knew who she was writing to. Two poems were also used throughout the book “The Art of Losing” by Elizabeth Bishop and ‘I carry your heart’ by E.E.Cummings. (Did Dellaira just watch the movie ‘In Her Shoes’ while writing this?!) and a few of the poets I will be studying next year, which let me classifying reading ‘Love Letters’ as homework.

Generally, a nice debut. Don’t go into this thinking it’s going to be like ‘Love, Aubrey’ but if you’ve already read ‘Perks’ then maybe there’s no need to read this one…unless you prefer a female protagonist, in that case, this is the perfect book for you.

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

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Pivot Poipivot point westnt by Kasie West
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Published by: HarperTeen
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I borrowed Pivot Point by Kasie West from my local library and I liked it so much I think I’m going to have to buy it for my own library. I also need the sequel, pronto.

There wasn’t an awful lot of world building, but I got the general feel for the Compound and really enjoyed the sections where we learnt more about the mind powers and the variations of those powers. Although I love the X-Men I haven’t read any YA where the main feature is super powers, but I guess, in a sense, Pivot Point isn’t primarily about the powers themselves but what they are used for.

Addie’s power is ‘Divergence’ meaning she can preempt the outcomes of her choices by looking into her future. The story is split into two alternating futures where she chooses to live either with her Mom, or her Dad after their divorce. I was gripped by the characters on both sides of Addie’s choices, and right until the end I couldn’t decide which one I wanted her to pick. However, when it got round to making the decision I knew which one she would go for, and it wasn’t what I wanted. Alas, I hold out hope for Split Second because I am not willing for Addie to let go of that part of her future.

Dramatic irony plays a very lead role in Pivot Point, because after something happens in one future, it happens again in the other but you get it from the ‘Normal’ rather than ‘Paranormal’ perspective and visa versa. This meant that I was gripping the edge of my seat in the final chapter pre-choice because I knew what was going to happen but Addie didn’t! She can’t say I didn’t try to warn her.

Despite dramatic irony I didn’t manage to guess every plot twist – apart from the obvious ones. I think this is one of the main reasons why I am going to give this book four out of five stars. Not only did I enjoy Addie’s character, although she was slightly annoying in places I forgave her due to circumstance, but I was incredibly impressed at how easily the storied blended together and how easy it was to follow both without being confused. I loved the story as a whole; it was a wonderful break from some other more intense reads and was the perfect thing to get me out of Lola and the Boy Next Door withdrawals.

Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

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Miss P

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Genre: Supernatural, Contemporary
Published By: Quirk Books
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

This book wasn’t what I was expecting. It was peculiar, but then I guess that was the point. I went into this book not knowing much about it, only that it contained some marginally creepy photographs and Jesse the Reader loved it.

My reason for reading the book? I wanted to read one of Ransom Riggs’ books first, as Bee had already read Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and I needed to lay claim to half of the adorable couple.

The story begins with Jacob, who has a job given to him by the powers of nepotism. His grandfather had always told him odd stories about his past and how he lived with all these children in a home that catered for their peculiar talents. Having written all of his grandfather’s stories off as…well, stories Jacob was in for a major shock when he witnessed a horrific event and realized old Abe was telling the truth. Monsters were out there and so was Miss Peregrine.

This book took me to so many unexpected places. A riddle was given to Jacob that he had to try and solve but I, and he, had no idea that the resolution was going to involve time travel, or a time loop (all lingo is explained in the book, don’t worry) also transfiguration akin to Harry Potter and an underwater shipwreck that Ariel would have been comfortable with.

There was nothing wrong with the strange elements of the book, overall they added to the mysterious tone. But I find myself being unable to actually describe how I felt about the novel because I completely wasn’t expecting the outcome. I loved the plot twist at the end, there’s nothing better than a plot twist that you never saw coming, and the narrative was reminiscent of a John Green novel, but with subtler wit. The book had me laughing at relevant points and, if I’m honest, left me a little bit spooked for the next book, ‘Hollow City’, the title of which I now understand.

Characters were well built, and I thought the pictures were integrated really well into the story, I’ve never seen something like it before, that’s for sure. The presence of romance between Emma and Jacob did seem a little bit convenient and, if we were to look at the history Emma shared with Jacob’s grandfather, then it’s weird, but this issue is addressed by Jacob himself, so if he’s cool with it so am I.

I’d definitely recommend ‘Miss Peregrine’s’ to anyone looking for an unusual read that has a consistently interesting plot. There were definitely no boring moments and the change in direction of the plot kept me reading in rapture. In conclusion, I give this beautiful oddity 3 out of 5 stars because it isn’t something I’d usually read, but I loved it and definitely will be reading the sequel as soon as my library get it in stock.

Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

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12842115Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Published by: Speak
Pages: 369
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Just One Day by Gayle Forman was a light and easy read. Although I couldn’t quite get my head around the idea of someone just going to Paris with a stranger, I let that slide considering how enjoyable this was. The writing style pulled me in and I was fully immersed in Allyson’s story.

My favourite part was the second section: One Year. I wasn’t all that fussed about her One Day, but the year she had after I thought was wonderful. The character development was palpable, and if there is one thing I love, it’s character development. Allyson went from someone who couldn’t stick up for herself and always had to be in the shadow of someone else – her mother, her best friend – to someone who could make their own choices and adventures. I know this was a result of her One Day with Willem, so I guess by extension I also liked her One Day.

My favourite character you ask? Dee.
Why? Because he was exactly what I wasn’t expecting and exactly what Allyson needed. Plus, he had a good sense of humor.

The way that the Forman tackled the ‘oppressive Mom’ was extremely accurate. I felt that Allyson’s relationship with her parents was beyond relatable, and was partly the reason why I kept reading. I wanted to see how our protagonist dealt with it and if we would get the oh-so classic:
“But you’re giving up on your dream!”
“Not my dream, Mom. Yours.”
Wonderful, I never get tired of those speeches.

I loved the minor characters that were introduced, particularly Wren. Although you didn’t know them for long, you felt like they had been with you for the whole book – and I think that was the point. This novel was extremely poignant, because everything linked back to the beginning. And when that happens you realize how wonderfully crafted the whole story is and you just get lost in narrative. The very first page questions Shakespeare’s ‘To Be Or Not To Be’ and I have to say I forgot that that point was made until everything circled right back to it at the end. I think that’s the true teller of a good book, if it can knock you off your feet because of its profound…ness.

Not being a big fan of travel, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to like the travel element to the book. Travel by yourself just seems like such an overwhelming experience, but all the characters seemed to make light of it and make it sound like a fun and worthwhile experience. I loved the change between Allyson’s first and second trip to Paris because she had come so far in the space of a year. Tracking Willem down was also enjoyable to read, because you felt the pang of pity when Allyson hit a dead end, but apparently life if full of coincidences and the majority of them can be found in Paris, France.

Overall I gave Just One Day four stars, because I did love the narrative, and the characters and development. There is just so much more I want to write about, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the story, because, just like Allyson, sometimes you have to take an adventure of your own.

Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

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Bur13406425n For Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 358
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

I managed to read this book in a day. It was that gripping. It probably helped that the chapters were short due to the changing perspectives, but something about this book meant that I couldn’t put it down. By the end, I still couldn’t work out which perspective I liked the most. Although, it’s probably a tie between Lillia and Kat, considering Mary faded into obscurity in some moments, considering she was the new girl and was not allowed to be seen with her cohorts in public situations.

I desperately wanted to like the book even more than I did, but my moral compass said that it would be wrong to completely agree with the revenge that the girls were enacting. Yes, the characters may have deserved a little bit of karma due to insane personality defects, but my stomach clenched every time they took revenge because you just know that they have to get caught out at some point.

It’s always interesting to read about the American school system and experience, because it sounds completely different from the UK system. There were quite a few clichés in the personalities and cliques, but that’s just what gives these kinds of books their charm. The social hierarchy is always a ‘fun one’ to experience in writing, especially when you get the ‘insiders view’ – which is never as perfect as you think it’s going to be. But I found it odd that we didn’t hear about any of the other friends that Mary must have made at some point, despite the fact that she’s the new girl surely she would have been able to make at least one other friend – I know she’s reserved, but considering her past I’m sure she wouldn’t purposefully want to be alone.

I liked how the character’s backstories were integrated into the novel, particularly in the beginning where in Lillia’s chapter a lot of names are thrown about and you have to work out who’s who and what relationship they have with the others. Then to find out how Kat and Mary fit in with this little gaggle of the socially elite, was simply wonderful. It was as if the stars had aligned and you knew that these characters were destined for *looks to the stars* great things.

The cliffhanger was exactly what was needed to make me want to read the sequel, and having read the plot line, I’m sure it will be just as good, if not better. I’d heard some mixed reviews about this book, and I think that’s mainly because of the controversial topic of ‘revenge’ and then the subsequent questions of ‘What is right and wrong?’ and ‘Can we really take it upon ourselves to enact justice on those that have done terrible things in the past?’ Overall, this book is wonderful for such philosophical questions, but if you’re not into questioning the meaning of existence or defining rights and wrongs, then it’s the perfect beach read too! Burn for Burn is definitely the kind of thing that I feel in the mood to read when the weather gets a bit warmer, and I want to stay clear of the novels with heavier plots and fantasy worlds.

There is no doubt in my mind that I will continue to read this series, because it was enjoyable, as long as I didn’t think about it in too much detail, and restrained myself from wanting to reach inside the book and punch certain characters in the face.

Review: Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki

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Branded-CoverBranded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki
Genre: Dystopian, Romance
Published By: Amazon
Pages: 384
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

The authors approached us in relation to this book and asked if we would like a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. Having accepted their generous request, let the reviewing commence.

Branded

The first point that’s important to make about ‘Branded’ is that it’s set in such an original world. You can almost think of the Hole,
where those that have committed crimes corresponding with the seven deadly sins are sent, as a Tartarus parallel, as it contained a lot of horrors that would have comfortably resided in the Underworld. The authors did an excellent job in setting out their world and describing said horrors, though perhaps visions of spurting blood will haunt my nightmares for a few days after putting this book down! The violence and the gore was gripping and certainly did it’s job in outlining how terrible life in the Hole truly was.

The Hole is ran by this evil dictator, known ambiguously as the Commander, so instantly his identity is hidden and there’s a great sense of mystery over who he is and his motives in purging the world of crime. As suspected when dictators force their beliefs down other people’ throats, those people will start to rebel. Cue our beautiful main character, Lexi. Lexi’s father is a legend when it comes to the growing resistance and Lexi later realises that it is up to her to continue her father’s legacy and fight for not only his beliefs but her own.

Lexi starts out as this very strong character, who is struggling to survive in her society under the tyrannical hand of her stepfather. Once she is captured and sent to the Hole, where she is unjustly accused of a crime she didn’t commit, it doesn’t take long for the brutal world to break her. Her strength vanishes, and her extensive gag reflex appears as she is literally horrified to the point of physical illness at what’s going on in the Hole. Her character was changeable throughout the book, but her intentions were in the right place, and this was especially easy to see when she befriends Alyssa, a young girl dying of an incurable disease. When the situation demands it, Lexi will throw herself in front of children and dogs to protect them but perhaps relies on being saved herself by a made-of-muscle male character.

Cole, Lexi’s guard, becomes her love interest despite the rules against guards and sinners falling in love. But who can put a stop to love, right? Lexi and Cole’s relationship develops quickly, and could be another reason for Lexi’s increasing dependancy on others. Their romance is slightly more steamy, shall we say, than any other YA novel, but I think the desperation in the romance well reflects the dangers of the world and just how much it can hurt people emotionally, as well as physically.

Some parts of the novel seemed a little too convenient in some places, however this isn’t atypical of fast pace novels that wish to get the reader to the end goal and definitely made sure none of the plot was irrelevant. Also, there were some times in the novel when the characters would have inconsistent personalities, for example one minute Lexi was demanding to be protected, but a minute later she would plead her independence. Yet, ‘Branded’ is going to be part of a trilogy, so hopefully as the other books in the Sinners Series are written the characters will retain consistent personalities, especially because after the plot twisty ending, Lexi no longer has as many people trying to hold her back.

The ending was certainly the most thrilling part of the novel, with a few things that I totally didn’t see coming, especially the scenes in the Control room (but no spoilers, of course!) After a rapid-fire ending like that, I can’t wait to read the other books in the series when they’re released just because the authors now have so much freedom in what can happen to Lexi, Cole and the unforgettable Zeus.

Overall, we rated this book 3 out of 5 stars, because although there were elements of the novel we really enjoyed, like the fast pace and the sweet character of Alyssa, we had a few problems with how the characters developed. That said, we’d definitely recommend ‘Branded’ for anyone that’s looking for some thrilling and minutely mysterious dystopian fiction that will have you on the edge of your seat (or other preferred reading places), especially when things start to heat up towards the end!

Thank you so much to the lovely authors, Abi and Missy, for giving us the chance to review this book, we’ve loved being part of the Branded Blog Tour and wish the novel and you all the best with your future novels that we can’t wait to read!

Review: Teardrop by Lauren Kate

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16070143Teardrop by Lauren Kate
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Published by: Delacorte Books
Pages: 441
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★
Series: Waterfall (#2)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

First of all I should preface this by saying that the premise for this novel is amazing, and I was unaware that this was the first in a series, rather than just a standalone.

Nonetheless, I did find the pacing of the novel to be a little slower than I would have liked. Almost fifty per cent through and the real purpose behind the plotline was still yet to be revealed. Despite this, I still enjoyed the story overall and the last fifteen per cent of the book – which was a rollercoaster of emotions, I can tell you – more than made up for the slow beginning. Although I thought the pacing was slow, the actual timeline of the story was very fast, and I found myself loosing track of days until I spotted a sentence that said ‘it had been two days since” etc., etc. The love story itself may have been a little rushed, or at least it felt that way until it was fully explained at the end. I would have been perfectly happy for Ander and Eureka to remain separated until the next book, because although Ander had been with Eureka for a long time, Eureka didn’t know that, and so her ‘insta-love’ felt perhaps a little too artificial. Generally I liked their romance, despite the fact that it all happened quite quickly, and am looking forward to how it develops throughout the series.

The pain Eureka felt over the death of her mother was executed extremely well, the burden became heavier throughout the story because the protagonist wasn’t really up for sharing. I felt Eureka’s concern over therapy, but without including spoilers, I think I may have agreed with Brooks’ opinions over her stoic-ness.

My favourite parts of the story where the translations of the Book of Love, and when Eureka was underwater; I was captivated by the story and would have liked to know more. As for when Eureka was underwater, Lauren Kate’s description of scenery is wonderful. She described the bayou, and pretty much any location that was mentioned, in such detail it was so easy to imagine any one would be able to draw the scene.

Lauren Kate has a way of gripping her readers just when the time is right, like the last fifteen per cent for example. There were times when I put the book down for a while too long, but when I picked it back up again something amazing would happen and I’d regret that decision to put the book down. Teardrop makes it’s audience feel all of the emotions possible. Okay, well, mostly anger, frustration, heart wrenching sadness and small pockets of joy whenever a scene gets a little too depressing. However, the deaths of certain characters were as blunt as Brooks was at the Halloween Maze party. There was little closure that I felt the reader got, not to mention Eureka herself! All I can say is, that it’s going to be extremely heart breaking to read when all that death and destruction catches up to her.

Overall, I’d give Teardrop three stars, because it was definitely a fun read, but there were some questions that I want answered, but that’s what the next book is for, right?