Tag: book review

Review: The Hetty Feather Series by Jacqueline Wilson

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The Hetty Feather Series by Jacqueline Wilson
Genre: Historical
Published by: Doubleday Children’s
Pages: 400 | 400 | 432 | 304 | 512
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Note: As this is a review of the entire series, certain plot points and outcomes are discussed that may spoil the series for first time readers, or people that haven’t completed the series!

H  E  T  T  Y     F  E  A  T  H  E  R

Hetty Feather is such a change of pace from anything Jacqueline Wilson has written before. Set in the 1890s, it is the first in her Victorian series, featuring Hetty, a foundling girl with ambitions to join the circus and becoming a published author, whichever comes first. Hetty Feather is so unique because it reads like usual middle grade fiction, but has the makings of a classic. Hetty’s journey is structured very much like Jane Eyre’s, except it spans across three books! The first book is pastoral, fascinating and exciting. The circus makes such a wonderful setting, in stark contrast to the Foundling Hospital. Reading as Hetty gets torn away from everyone she loves: her mother, foster family and beloved Jem, is heartbreaking. No matter what she goes through, mischief, mayhem or injustice, you always root for her! It’s hard to think that the sequels are going to match up to such a marvellous beginning!  Continue reading “Review: The Hetty Feather Series by Jacqueline Wilson” →

Review: Trouble Makes a Comeback by Stephanie Tromly

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32573384Trouble Makes a Comeback by Stephanie Tromly
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Pages: 384
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★.5
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review! 

I was really excited to read this after reading Trouble is a Friend of Mine  last week and really liking it. Nancy Drew with drug circles and razor blades. It was intense and the relationship between Digby and our main girl, Zoe, was what really drew me to the story. The sequel, I’m sad to say, didn’t live up to the hype I was creating for myself (silly, silly me) but the strengths of the first book, like the quick witted dialogue, continued throughout, making it still an enjoyable read, but not the jam packed sequel I was hoping for.  Continue reading “Review: Trouble Makes a Comeback by Stephanie Tromly” →

(Spoiler) Series Review: The Lone City by Amy Ewing

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The Jewel, The White Rose and The Black Key by Amy Ewing
Genre: Dystopian, Romance
Publisher: Walker Books
Pages: 362 | 310 | 304
Format: Paperback & e-book
Rating: ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★

The Jewel is one of the books I’ve had on my shelves for ages and have been dying to read. In our Last Minute TBR video, I made a list of five books I couldn’t finish 2016 without reading, and this was at the top of that list. It’s been nearly a whole year since I read my last dystopian series, and I was reading to get sucked into a world for a few days and love every second of it. Luckily, The Jewel lived up to every expectation I had of it, and was one of the most lovely reading experiences I’ve had all year! I’m so pleased to have found another favourite series in The Lone City and it’s time to share the love!
Continue reading “(Spoiler) Series Review: The Lone City by Amy Ewing” →

Series Review: The Spinster Club Trilogy by Holly Bourne

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Am I Normal Yet?, How Hard Can Love Be? and What’s a Girl Gotta Do?
Genre: Contemporary, Feminism, Romance
Published by: Usborne
Pages: 434, 480, 432
Rating: ★★★★★
More: The Manifesto on How to be Interesting

Over the summer, I read this absolutely amazing series called ‘The Spinster Club’ and I loved it so much I couldn’t even put into words how much it all meant for me. Dealing with everything you could possibly want in a contemporary and more, Holly Bourne manages to actually do the impossible and create a series when I loved each and every one of the books equally. Now, there’s a short story epilogue to the series, called …And A Happy New Year? that’ll be the first thing I read after Christmas and I’m sure to review the finale, but first, let’s reflect on just how awesome this feminist trilogy is!

Continue reading “Series Review: The Spinster Club Trilogy by Holly Bourne” →

Review: If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

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29470648If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBT+
Published by: Usborne
Pages: 290
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★

I was so desperate to read this book and I have been ever since it came out, but it was just one of those things where it was on a deal at Waterstones (buy one get one half price) and there wasn’t another book that I wanted! By the time there was If I Was Your Girl had been taken out of the offer, and I resolved that I’d have to find it in a library somewhere. THEN the next round of Zoella’s Book Club was announced and you’ll never guess which was the first book on the list?! And because I bought it when it was the featured book, it was half price! So sometimes waiting for the deals really does pay off! So, I’ve been hyped about this book for a really long time and I’m so happy I’ve finally got to read it because I LOVED it.

Continue reading “Review: If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo” →

Review: Clover Moon by Jacqueline Wilson

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28501489Clover Moon by Jacqueline Wilson
Genre: Historical, Middle Grade
Publisher: Doubleday Childrens
Pages: 400
Format: e-book
Rating: ★★★★
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

After reading and loving the Hetty Feather series, we were both super excited to dive into Jacqueline Wilson’s latest Victorian historical adventure, that even promises a cameo from Hetty herself. This year, we’ve been rediscovering our old favourite Jacqueline Wilson books, along with keeping ourselves up to date with all the releases that came out the decade we stopped reading. It’s so exciting to read the most recently release, and Clover has worked her way into our hearts just as Hetty did. Continue reading “Review: Clover Moon by Jacqueline Wilson” →

Review: I’ll Be Home For Christmas UKYA Anthology!

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31114205I’ll Be Home For Christmas, an anthology by UKYA authors
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Pages: 384
Format: e-book
Rating: Each story rated individually!
Note: We received this book in exchange for on honest review. 

After reading  Stephanie Perkins’ Winter and Summer anthologies, it’s about time to have one full of wonderful UKYA authors! There are a few here, like Katy Cannon and Holly Bourne that we were really looking out for, but anthologies are always an exciting opportunity to discover new authors too.

Continue reading “Review: I’ll Be Home For Christmas UKYA Anthology!” →

Review: Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly

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troubleTrouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Pages: 295
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★.5

I’ve had this book on my shelf for a while, and that’s mostly because the Goodreads reviews shout that there needs to be a sequel. This can only mean there’s one heck of a cliffhanger, and I wasn’t ready to be unsatisfied…until I found out there’s a sequel, coming out in the week!

So, I was ready to dive into Trouble is a Friend of Mine, safe in the knowledge I could jump right over to the second book straight after. No guesses what I’m reading now.

Advertised as a mix between Sherlock and Veronica Mars, I was on board from the word GO, so let’s talk about this mad, hilarious story and why the sequel is a must. Continue reading “Review: Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly” →

Review: The Secret City by C. J Daugherty and Carina Rozenfeld

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cover94392-mediumThe Secret City by C.J. Daugherty and Carina Rozenfeld
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Atom
Pages: 365
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★
Series: The Secret Fire (The Alchemy Chronicles #1)

This is the second, and I presume final book in The Alchemy Chronicles. I feel very lucky that I got to read them one after the other, instead of waiting the year for The Secret City to come out, because I was completely engrossed with the first book. It was action packed and incredibly well paced, so I was genuinely excited to get around to this book. The acknowledgements of book one also seemed to suggest that there was only one more book in the series, and if there’s anything that’s going to make me want to read a sequel more, it’s knowing that it’s the second of a duology rather than the middle book of a trilogy! I mean, really, I’m glad that this is the end, because it definitely feels like a story told in two parts, where book one sets up all the action and conflict, introducing us to the world, and book two is resolving the issues and ramping up the tension just a few more notches before the end!

Continue reading “Review: The Secret City by C. J Daugherty and Carina Rozenfeld” →

Review: RoseBlood by A. G. Howard

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28818314RoseBlood by A. G. Howard
Genre: Retelling
Published by: Amulet Books
Pages: 432
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★.5
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

RoseBlood, if you can’t tell from the magnificent cover, is a retelling of Phantom of the Opera. Now, I’ll admit that I haven’t read the book or seen the musical, so the whole retelling element was a bit lost on me, but I did still manage to piece the story together, and gain some understanding of what Phantom is all about. From the off, then, this is a book for both lovers of Phantom, and complete newbies, like me! There was something quite Beauty and the Beast about the story too, so if that’s your cup of tea, you’ll totally love RoseBlood. 
Continue reading “Review: RoseBlood by A. G. Howard” →