Tag: teen fiction

Mini Review: Optimists Die First by Susin Nielson

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30335560Optimists Die First by Susin Nielson
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Anderson Press
Pages: 272
Format: ARC Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Note: I received this book from Anderson Press in exchange for an honest review 

I really, really liked We Are All Made of Molecules, it was an astonishingly good read that I wasn’t expecting. So, when Optimists Die First came through the letterbox – also unexpectedly – I was really looking forward to seeing whatever Nielson wrote next. And while I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as WAAMOM, it was still a delightful read full of quirky characters and plenty of intrigue!

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Review: The Cahill Witch Chronicles by Jessica Spotswood

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Born Wicked, Star Cursed, Sisters’ Fate by Jessica Spotswood
Genre: Supernatural (Witches), Romance. Sisters = buzzword
Published by: Speak. Pages: 352, 384, 368 respectively
Rating: ★★★★

This series has quickly become one of my absolute favourites. It’s the story of three sisters who are all witches in a society where if you’re rumoured to be a witch you’re either imprisoned or hanged. There’s also a prophecy that claims one of the sisters will either be the undoing of witches or will help them rise. I loved the drama and the the way every single relationship is written! For a series that was recommended to me by a friend in my Lit class almost four years ago, I’m surprised I didn’t pick it up sooner, because it’s really not one to be missed!

(Warning: As I’m going to be discussing all three books in one post, you might find the reviews of books 2 and 3 spoiler-y since I’ll be noting how the plot progresses.)

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Review: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

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12680907Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Genre: Fantasy
Published by: Gollancz
Pages: 563
Format: e-book
Rating: ★★
Series: Graceling (#1) | Fire (#2)

Just so long. This book was SO LONG. It seriously didn’t need to be, and by the end I was certainly trudging my way through it, however, despite all that it was still my favourite of the trilogy and that can entirely be attributed to the fact that it followed Bitterblue, who is not the Queen of her kingdom. This story takes place a few years on from the events of Graceling, so it’s not really a direct sequel, but you still get to see Katsa and Po, so I’m going to classify this a regular series rather than a companion one, just with a random prequel shoved in the middle there.

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Spoiler Review: Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

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25431123Nerve by Jeanne Ryan
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 298
Format: Paperback (library edition)
Rating: ★

I missed this movie when it was in the cinema, so when I saw it in the library I thought I would pick it up to read before I eventually saw the film! I hauled it in a Library book haul and someone commented that the book was quite different to the movie, I can only agree from what I see in the trailer, but I can definitely say that I was completely underwhelmed by Nerve and can see how a movie would ramp this up 100% The premise in general sounded really exciting but there was so much to dislike about the books, I can’t bring myself to give it any more that 1 star. 

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Review: The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

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23058402The Art Of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson
Genre: Contemporary, Coming-of-Age
Published by: David Fickling Books
Pages: 353
Format: Hardback (library copy)
Rating: ★★★★

For one of my university creative writing portfolios I’m writing a play featuring a transgender protagonist, so I have been trying to read as many trans POVs as I can! I’ve already read If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo and George by Alex Gino, both of which I loved, and The Art of Being Normal has been on my TBR since Maddie read it over the summer and really enjoyed it, and then we found out there’s going to be a sequel! I’m so happy I picked this one up, because these kinds of books are really important. Although The Art of Being Normal isn’t an own voice story the same way the others I’ve mentioned have been, it was authentic and respectful of transgender teenagers.

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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.

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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!

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

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22911719The Secret Fire by C. J. Daugherty
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Atom
Pages: 415
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★.5

I picked up The Secret Fire when I saw C.J. Daughter speak about Feminism in YA with Holly Bourne and Holly Smale. It was an absolutely incredible event, and though C.J was mostly talking about her Night School series (which I was reading at the time and wasn’t really enjoying) I really wanted to read this one, and I am overjoyed to say that I really liked it!

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Review: The Best Possible Answer by E. Katherine Kottaras

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cover93050-mediumThe Best Possible Answer by E. Katherine Kottaras
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Published by: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 272
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Academic overachiever Viviana has a panic attack that puts her in the hospital after the nudes she sent to her now ex-boyfriend completely destroy her life. As she tries to pick up the pieces, she gets a job at her apartment building’s pool and meeting a new group of friends who will help get her through. This sounds amazing, right? I was really pumped for this contemporary, I was all set to read it over the summer, but then life got in the way and I didn’t start until October and had to put it down for almost month before I finished. But I did. I eventually came back to it and realized why I might have put this down in this first place.

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Review: Blood For Blood by Ryan Graudin

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31116030Blood For Blood by Ryan Graudin
Genre: Historical, Action
Published by: Orion Children’s Books
Pages: 496
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★
Series: Wolf By Wolf (#1)
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

So, what I didn’t realise was that Blood For Blood is the last in this series. It was only a DUOLOGY! I was a little suspicious when it felt like things were wrapping up and I was like ‘wait!’ While I am extremely excited that it meant I could unexpectedly finish another series before the end of the year, I’m really sad that I won’t be off with Yael on another action-packed adventure!

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