GUEST REVIEW: All The Bright Places - Jennifer Niven

GENRE: YA

PAGES: 400
PUBLISHER: Penguin
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

All the Bright Places is a compelling and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die. Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the 'natural wonders' of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself - a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink. How far will Violet go to save the boy she has come to love?

REVIEW

I have been thinking about how to write this review for a while. I finished this book last night and it has not left my mind since then. I loved this book so much. It was so amazing and it just completely blew me away. People are probably going to kill me for saying this but this book, for me anyway, was like a much better version of The Fault In Our Stars. Don’t kill me just yet. I know that everyone love The Fault In Our Stars, and I do too but you’ve probably never read All The Bright Places so you don’t know that this book isn’t better than it.

The reason I loved this book so much is probably because it affected me so much. I don’t know why but something about this book just changed me. I know that sounds weird but it’s true. As well as breaking my heart into millions of little pieces, it also taught me so much about everything such as life.

Okay, I’m going to try write a normal review now. The characters in this book were honestly the best part about it. Finch was an unusual character that was amazingly portrayed. Despite not being like him, I understood why he was the way he was. I understood the things that he did and why he did them. I wouldn’t say he was one of my favourite male characters but I did really love him in a different way to how I love everyone else. He specifically taught me a lot about life and how we should live life. Violet was unique and different. After going through something so tragic, she is obviously quite scared of living but I loved her because of that. I loved seeing her grow out of her fear and start living her life. Both of the characters felt so real and it’s hard to believe that they are only characters in a book. The romance between them was amazing. It did feel quite insta lovey at the start and slightly stalkerish but I loved it so much despite that.

The writing in this book was just exquisite. The writing in this book just made me fall even more in love with it because it was breathtaking. The writing was stunning. Any sentences I can form will not do the writing in this book justice. You’ll just need to read the book.

The ending of this book broke me. The last 100 pages were just amazing and fabulous, as was the whole book but the last 100 pages were even more so. I just can’t believe that it ended that way. It was just so amazing and fabulous. Everyone needs to read this book now. Stop reading this review and go buy the book so that you can read it. I cannot recommend this book enough. This review definitely did not do it justice. Just go read it now and you’ll see what I mean.

- Sofia.

REVIEW: Vendetta - Catherine Doyle

GENRE: YA Romance

PAGES: 352
PUBLISHER: Chicken House

FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars
 

SUMMARY

When five brothers move into the abandoned mansion next door, Sophie Gracewell's life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to bad boy Nic Falcone, Sophie finds herself falling into an underworld governed by powerful families. When Sophie's own family skeletons come to life, she must choose between two warring dynasties \- the one she was born into, and the one she is falling in love with. When she does, blood will spill and hearts will break ...

 

REVIEW

A wonderful take on the star-crossed lover genre. Featuring a strong cast of characters, all of who add the the plot in their own way, it's a really immersive story and I soon found myself caught up in Sophie's ever more dangerous world. A great story of family, love, secrets and lies... and when the truth comes out Sophie had better take cover! A fantastic debut novel.

 

-Gem.

REVIEW: Cuckoo Song - Frances Hardinge

GENRE: Supernatural YA

PAGES: 416
PUBLISHER: MacMillan

FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars
 

SUMMARY

The first things to shift were the doll's eyes, the beautiful grey-green glass eyes. Slowly they swivelled, until their gaze was resting on Triss's face. Then the tiny mouth moved, opened to speak. 'What are you doing here?' It was uttered in tones of outrage and surprise, and in a voice as cold and musical as the clinking of cups. 'Who do you think you are? This is my family.' When Triss wakes up after an accident, she knows that something is very wrong. She is insatiably hungry; her sister seems scared of her and her parents whisper behind closed doors. She looks through her diary to try to remember, but the pages have been ripped out. Soon Triss discovers that what happened to her is more strange and terrible than she could ever have imagined, and that she is quite literally not herself. In a quest find the truth she must travel into the terrifying Underbelly of the city to meet a twisted architect who has dark designs on her family - before it's too late ...

 

REVIEW

I had been meaning to read this for a long time, and as soon as I picked it up I couldn't put it down! It's such a unique and haunting novel, each character is well defined and the journey Tris goes on is really interesting and moving.

 

I would recommend this to anyone who likes something a little extraordinary, or Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

 

-Gem.

REVIEW: Read Me Like A Book - Liz Kessler

GENRE: YA

PAGES: 304
PUBLISHER: Indigo

FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars
 

SUMMARY

Ashleigh Walker is in love. You know the feeling - that intense, heart-racing, all-consuming emotion that can only come with first love. It's enough to stop her worrying about bad grades at college. Enough to distract her from her parents' marriage troubles. There's just one thing bothering her . . .

Shouldn't it be her boyfriend, Dylan, who makes her feel this way - not Miss Murray, her English teacher?

 

REVIEW

I've read a couple of Liz Kessler's middle grade books, so I was excited about this YA offering, and it didn't disappoint. Ash is a great character - funny, sarcastic, insecure, and really relatable. It was really interesting to see how how her character developed as she tackles dealing with her parents marriage problems, her love life and her college work. It's her love life which plays a major part of this story, and it deals with some intense issues in a really sensitive way. There's some good shocks and twists in it which I found really enjoyable.

 

 I can't wait to read more YA from Liz.

 

- Gem.

REVIEW: The Mime Order - Samantha Shannon

GENRE: Adult Fantasy
PAGES: 528
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

 

REVIEW

The Bone Season was one of my favourite books of 2013 and I was impatiently waiting for the next instalment. Samantha Shannon has created such an intricate alternative world, complete with a whole host of mind-blowing characters. Paige is still in terrible danger as she is now the most wanted person in London, and the fugitives from Sheol I are all being hunted by the Rephaim.

 

The language and words that have been created really add to the originality of the story, and the way that the plot races forward with action and excitement on each page kept me so gripped I was fully submerged in Paige's world. Everything is described so well that despite it being so fantastical you can really see it. I'm not saying anything about the story because it's so much more fun to be shocked by all the incredible action! If you haven't read The Bone Season yet you really must, and be sure to make use of the glossary at the back (but ensure you don't read the last page or you'll spoil it!).

 

I cannot wait for the film of TBS and I am so excited to see what happens next for Paige.

 

- Gem.

GUEST REVIEW: The Bone Dragon - Alexia Casale

GENRE: Fantasy
PAGES: 320
PUBLISHER: Faber
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

Evie's shattered ribs have been a secret for the last four years. Now she has found the strength to tell her adoptive parents, and the physical traces of her past are fixed - the only remaining signs a scar on her side and a fragment of bone taken home from the hospital, which her uncle Ben helps her to carve into a dragon as a sign of her strength. Soon this ivory talisman begins to come to life at night, offering wisdom and encouragement in roaming dreams of smoke and moonlight that come to feel ever more real. As Evie grows stronger there remains one problem her new parents can't fix for her: a revenge that must be taken. And it seems that the Dragon is the one to take it. This subtly unsettling novel is told from the viewpoint of a fourteen-year-old girl damaged by a past she can't talk about, in a hypnotic narrative that, while giving increasing insight, also becomes increasingly unreliable.

REVIEW

This will be a short review to avoid spoilersg. You’ll see in the review-at-a-glance graphic above that I avoided declaring a genre for this one. If pushed, I’d have to go for magic realist thriller (which I realise isn’t an official genre, but it’s the closest fit I can come up with). It’s more magic realist than full-on fantasy, dragon notwithstanding, as it clearly takes place in our world and the dragon is the only fantasy element. The thriller aspect is achieved by means of very close first-person narration by Evie, who is clearly hiding many things. The reader is left to tease out the fragments of information and decide where the half-truths and omissions lie.

This is a gorgeous treat of a read – which is an odd thing to say about such a trauma-filled book – due to its dark beauty and the lyricism of its prose. If the premise intrigues you at all, you should absolutely give it a go.

This is my initial comment on closing the book:

Beautiful, startling and tense. A real struggle to classify by genre, with magic realism elements within a coming-of-age narrative which, at times, feels like a psychological thriller. Evie’s anxieties, fears and development are conveyed perfectly; I have rarely felt I’ve known a character so thoroughly (especially given all the gaps in her narrative).

- Beth.

REVIEW: I'd Tell You i Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You - Ally Carter

GENRE: Contemporary YA

PAGES: 320

PUBLISHER: Orchard Books

FORMAT: PB

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses - but it's really a school for spies. Cammie Morgan is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti). But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for is what to do when she falls for an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without his ever being the wiser, but can Cammie have a normal relationship with a boy who can never know the truth about her?

REVIEW

Cammie and her friends go to an exclusive school for exceptional girls. But really, it's a cover for a school for SPIES. Whilst on her first training mission shadowing a teacher, Cammie meets a boy that she can't stop thinking about. How can she risk blowing her cover for a boy she doesn't know?

I put off reading this series for so long because the cover made me think they were going to be shallow stories about girls who are obsessed with makeup, clothes and sneaking out to see boys. I was so wrong. It is a smart, witty novel that made me totally jealous that I had to go to a normal boring school for normal boring non-spy people.

The female characters are fantastic role models: they are serious about their schoolwork, are ambitious about their careers and make the most of each particular skill set they have. I liked that although they had to be privileged and of a good background to attend the school, the don't squander it. They recognise how lucky they are and know that their lives will never be normal or safe. They're also really loyal friends, which is what a girl needs when you have to spend the whole of you life looking over your shoulder for impending danger.

The school itself is also as much of a cool character. If you have never visited the school you would think it was just an academy for over-rich, bored 'preppy' types, but you would never make it up the drive; a series of booby traps would stop you on your way. And if there is ever a surprise visit the school can go all Harry Potter and convert itself inside. It's so much fun. They learn lessons like 'Covert Ops' and have to speak different languages on different days. It is so smart, and so witty.

In terms of Cammie's relationship with Josh, the boy she meets in the town, I was worried that it would go really soppy, that she would forget about her studies and because a helpless depressed damsel. I'm so glad she didn't. She still tries to have a normal life, growing up and starting to notice boys, and although she is nowhere near a normal teen, she is still relatable for any teenage reader.

The writing style is simple and easy and I devoured it, so my advice is to read these, they're so much fun. I recommend them for anyone wanting an easy fun read, or for any parents who want something for their girls to read that isn't smutty, depressing or just bad for the psyche.

These girls can kick anyone's ass, and most importantly they could outsmart you in a second.

- Bex.

REVIEW: Unremembered - Jessica Brody

GENRE: YA

PAGES: 302

PUBLISHER: Macmillan Kids

FORMAT: PB

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe. Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

REVIEW

I'm lucky enough to have received an advance copy of this book from a rep and was immediately intrigued by its premise. I don't read contemporary novels very often but was glad that I picked this up. It errs towards science fiction and is as fast-paced as a spy thriller.

It's premise is great: A girl, named Violet by the nurses in hospital, is found floating in the ocean after a suspicious plane crash. After being placed with a foster family she becomes determined to find out where she comes from, and to also find out more about the mysterious boy who continues to follow her every move.

The Unremembered is a fantastically built novel. The suspense gradually grows into a high octane thriller that will have you gripping your seat. I was shocked time and time again by the abilities Violet discovers in herself and it was really fun to discover everything she can do at the same time she does. There were several times I was completely unsure how Violet was going to get out of the situations she gets in, which reminded me of the twists of The Hunger Games. You're never sure who to trust, or if any of her memories are ever real. It's not really a dystopian novel as such but will appeal to fans of these.

Thematically it centres are the themes of both love and scientific advancement, one a modern miracle and the other a timeless concept. It asks how love exists within us: Is it something that is lodged deep down and can't be erased or damaged as part of our brain? Is it a lingering part of a persons soul that can always react to someone you love? Or are there just different parts of our brains that are harder to damage? I really enjoyed these questions and finding out about Violet's past in the flashbacks as she 'restores' her memories.

One thought that struck me through the whole novel is how it seemed to pull the themes of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein into the modern age. Frankenstein asks us the price of scientific advancement and if it is worth sacrificing our humanity or morality. Unremembered asks these too, and also what faculties the modern world would demand of us if we were trying to recreate Dr. Frankenstein's Creature today. 

I highly recommend this book for adults, for teens, and even for younger readers ready to move up to teenage. I don't think there is anything in there that parents would have a problem with. Add this to your Goodreads and get pre-ordering, you won't be disappointed.

- Bex.

REVIEW: The Girl With All The Gifts - M. R. Carey

GENRE: Adult Sci-Fi
PAGES: 512
PUBLISHER: Orbit
FORMAT: PB
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

NOT EVERY GIFT IS A BLESSING.

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite. But they don't laugh. Melanie is a very special girl. Emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end, THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS is the most powerful and affecting thriller you will read this year.

REVIEW

When I'm trying to describe this book to people I always describe it as The Walking Dead meets Matilda - and as soon as you read it you'll see exactly what I mean.

It's very difficult to review a book when you want to keep all the twists and turns as fresh as shocking for the next reader as it was for yourself... All I will tell you is the bare bones, which is this:

The Girl With All The Gifts is set in a post-apocalyptic England where a deadly virus has destroyed most of the population - what becomes of these people, and how Melanie ends up in the midst of it all is brutal, terrible, and infinitely fascinating. It is honestly one of my favourite books of this year, and one of  the best thrillers I have ever read. It is also one of the first sci-fi books to make it on the the Waterstones Book Club. That takes a lot.

So remember: The Walking Dead meet Matilda. And if that doesn't intrigue you enough to go out and pick it up then more fool you because it's definitely an experience worth having.

Please note: this book is not suitable for younger readers, and is so awesome your heart might stop. Or explode. I take no responsibility for either occurrence.

- Bex.

REVIEW: The Screaming Staircase - Jonathan Stroud

GENRE: Childrens 9-12
PAGES: 480
PUBLISHER: Corgi
FORMAT: PB
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in...For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions. Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive. Set in a city stalked by spectres, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling new series full of suspense, humour and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again...

REVIEW

Lately, through my love of Skulduggary Pleasant, I have been delving further and further in to adventure stories for children younger than the usual teen titles I read.

When Lockwood and Lucy discover the corpse of a young socialite in a house suffering from the Problem they vow to uncover her killer. Following the clues through a series of dangerous haunted houses and objects - not to mention the dangerous people - Lockwood and Lucy must try to find out the truth no matter what it costs them.

The Screaming Staircase ticks so many boxes for me. Ghosts. Check. Awesome female character I can relate to. Check. Gothic and ghoulish settings. Check. Oh, and the fact that this book is for a younger audience than Teen means I don't have to worry that the kick-ass adventure scenes are going to end in romance. Because boys are like, ew.

Lockwood and Co. is are based in an alternative England, where the 'problem' of hauntings has risen to an unstoppable level. Children, like our narrator Lucy, are more sensitive to seeing ghosts, and are recruited by agencies like Lockwood and Co. as hunting operatives. The way Stroud presents London is dark, with an almost Victorian feel. Part Ghostbusters, part Dickens and part Sherlock Holmes, The Screaming Staircase is full of the twists, turns and jumpy moments that I love, and  the easy humorous prose kept my attention well to the end.

Don't be fooled by it's 9-12 listing; it's the perfect crossover book. Lucy is about 15 and I think the writing is awesome. So, next time you walk past our 9-12 section, stop and take a look - there are many gems like this to find.

Recommended Reading

Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy

Department 19 - Will Hill

- Bex.

REVIEW: Eren - Simon P. Clark

GENRE: YA
PAGES: 208
PUBLISHER: Much-In-Little
FORMAT: Hardback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

People are keeping secrets from Oli - about where his father is, and why he hasn't come to join them at his uncle's house in the country.

But Oli has secrets too.

He knows what lives in the attic. Eren - part monster, part dream, part myth. Eren who always seems so interested, who always wants to hear more about Oli's life. Eren, who needs to hear stories to live, and will take them from Oli, no matter the cost.

REVIEW

Eren is one of the strangest books I have ever read, and it's a debut that's one of the most unique and exciting stories I've read this year.

When Oli's Mum moves him away from his London home he begins to feel isolated from his life. He goes to live at his Uncle's house and when exploring the attic meets a very strange creature... Eren. Eren feeds off stories of all sorts, and the more detailed and imaginative the better. They make him stronger. He begins to take over everything in Oli's life.

Eren is really a story about what happens when children are protected from the hardships of adult life. By not telling Oli what is happening with his Dad or why they had to move to London, Oli's imagination begins to take on a life of his own, spreading from simple storytelling to reconstructing his own history with the detail and flourish that Eren keeps pushing him for.

Storytelling affects everyone. Everything is an interpretation of the truth and affects the way we see ourselves and our histories. It can bring magic and wonder, sometimes giving us new ways to see situations, to understand and explore emotions.

Eren is a beautifully produced fairytale for both adults and children, about the power of imagination and how easily it spills into and influences our everyday lives.

- Bex.

GUEST REVIEW: Lies We Tell Ourselves - Robin Talley

GENRE: YA
PAGES: 384
PUBLISHER: MIRA Ink
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

Lie #1: I'm not afraid. 

Lie #2: I'm sure I'm doing the right thing. 

Lie# 3: I don't care what they think of me. 

It's 1959. The battle for civil rights is raging. And it's Sarah's first day of school as one of the first black students at previously all-white Jefferson High. No one wants Sarah there. Not the Governor. Not the teachers. And certainly not the students - especially Linda, daughter of the town's most ardent segregationist. Sarah and Linda are supposed to despise each other. But the more time they spend together, the less their differences matter. And both girls start to feel something they've never felt before. Something they're determined to ignore. Because it's one thing to stand up to an unjust world - but another to be terrified of what's in your own heart.

REVIEW

It’s 1959 and the world is changing for two teenage girls who are thrown into each other’s paths as Jefferson High introduces black students to its halls for the very first time. Lies We Tell Ourselves is told between Sarah and Linda two girls who at the start of the book appear to be very different but little do they know are actually the flip side to the same coin in the battle for civil rights.

Sarah is one of the first black girls to be integrated and right from the first chapter I was equally horrified and heartbroken for her and the abuse she had to go through. Linda is a popular white girl who’s been told all her life that black people are beneath her and so when she gets to know Sarah during a school project she’s confused and torn by what she herself is learning to be true and wanting to uphold her family’s reputation and please her father whose career is built on segregation. Both girls are equally interesting to read about as they go on a tremendous journey to figure out for themselves what’s wrong and what’s right.

Lies We Tell Ourselves is set at a point in history where people’s minds were slowly changing towards equality and so I found it really interesting that author Robin Talley decided to take a look at gay rights as well for comparison. I thought this was well explored through Linda’s best friend Judy who’s one of the only white students to accept Sarah yet sees homosexuality as sinful and wrong. It was interesting to read about how minds move and at what pace especially when it comes to equality.

There’s a lot of important messages and themes throughout Lies We Tell Ourselves but my personal favourite is one that I believe stands the test of time and is at the root of all good change and that is to do what you feel in your heart to be right rather than what you’ve been told is right. Seeing Sarah and Linda find their own way and the strength it takes to do that is an incredibly empowering thought to take away from this book.

Every now and then a Young Adult book comes along that I want to push into every readers hands both young and old and Lies We Tell Ourselves is that book for 2014.

- Jess.

GUEST REVIEW: The Queen Of The Tearling - Erika Johnasen

GENRE: Adult Fantasy
PAGES: 448
PUBLISHER: Bantam Press
FORMAT: Hardback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

Kelsea Glynn is the sole heir to the throne of Tearling but has been raised in secret by foster parents after her mother - Queen Elyssa, as vain as she was stupid - was murdered for ruining her kingdom. For 18 years, the Tearling has been ruled by Kelsea's uncle in the role of Regent however he is but the debauched puppet of the Red Queen, the sorceress-tyrant of neighbouring realm of Mortmesme. On Kelsea's 19th birthday, the tattered remnants of her mother's guard - each pledged to defend the queen to the death - arrive to bring this most un-regal young woman out of hiding...

And so begins her journey back to her kingdom's heart, to claim the throne, earn the loyalty of her people, overturn her mother's legacy and redeem the Tearling from the forces of corruption and dark magic that are threatening to destroy it. But Kelsea's story is not just about her learning the true nature of her inheritance - it's about a heroine who must learn to acknowledge and live with the realities of coming of age in all its insecurities and attractions, alongside the ethical dilemmas of ruling justly and fairly while simply trying to stay alive...

REVIEW

I really loved this book! It had many flaws but I was so engrossed in the plot that I completely ignored them and absolutely loved the book anyway!

Kelsea Glynn is an amazing character! In fact she’s quite possibly of my favourite fictional characters (up there with Hermione Granger, Hazel Grace Lancaster and Celeana Sardothien!) She is strong (but not necessarily physically like Celeana, Tris or Katniss) ! I’ve never known a character with so much resilience! Despite the fact that attempts are constantly made on her life she stays determined and focussed on being a good queen and restoring the Kingdom. I found her incredibly inspirational! Kelsea doesn’t develop much over the book (she had her strength and courage from the beginning) but I still really loved her!

Out of all of the books I have read recently, I have found most of them predictable! However ‘The Queen of the Tearling’ had me gripped throughout trying to work out what was going to happen next! I really felt that anything could happen and that made my reading experience more thrilling!

My favourite genres are dystopian, fantasy and historical and I was delighted to find that this book is a combination of the three making it the perfect choice for me! Whilst being set in the future, the world was very simplistic and the whole book is centred around the Monarchy, giving The Queen of the Tearling a historical feel. There are a few fantasy elements too!

So this book is already set to become a film (starring the wonderful Emma Watson.) I think it would make a really awesome film and I would love to see the book come to life on screen!

- Priya.

REVIEW: Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

GENRE: Fantasy
PAGES: 352
PUBLISHER: Indigo
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

REVIEW

An outstanding start to a fantastic trilogy. Any one who likes fantasy should read this trilogy, it's full of action, mystery, friendship, romance and drama. Alina is a wonderful character who is thrust into a situation like no other, and must be strong to survive the trials that lie ahead for her. As soon as you finish this you will immediately want to go on to Seige and Storm and then Ruin and Rising. I have read them all twice now, and will be re-reading them time and time again.

- Gem.

REVIEW: Split Second - Kasie West

GENRE: YA
PAGES: 360
PUBLISHER: Harper360
FORMAT: Hardback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

Check out Gem's review for Pivot Point here.

SUMMARY

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

REVIEW

After having read and loved Pivot Point, Split Second picks up where PP finished and Addie is just as awesome as ever. This novel differs as it tells the story from both Addie and Lailia's view points, allowing us to see both inside the compound and outside and in the norm world. The action kicks in immediately as Addie and Laila try to piece together a trail of breadcrumbs leading towards a conclusion that could change their lives forever. It's difficult to say much about this book without giving away big spoilers, but suffice to say it's awesome! I wish there were going to be more books in this series :)

- Gem.

REVIEW: Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Paige

GENRE: Faiytale/Fantasy
PAGES: 464
PUBLISHER: Harper360
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero. But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe. My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas. I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

REVIEW

This. Is. AMAZING!

From the first page I was utterly hooked by this fabulous spin on the Wizard of Oz classic. It's been some years since I read the original novels, but reading this bought it all back. Amy's narration was compelling, at times I felt sorry for her, sometimes wanted to tell her to run away and always rooted for her to best her enemies and come out on top! It really is an incredible book, as soon as I finished it I wanted to reread it, and I know it's a book I'll read many, many times. The way it takes characters we all know and transforms them into something totally unrecognisable was so clever, and despite the macabre nature of the plot, Amy's sarcasm adds a element of humour and fun to stop it being too dark. It would work so well as a TV show!

- Gem.

REVIEW: Twisted - Laurie Halse Anderson

GENRE: Contemporary/Issues
PAGES: 240
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Seventeen-year-old Tyler is totally enjoying his position as high school Alpha male after years of being "the geek". But then Bethany - rich, blonde, beautiful and the girl Tyler wants - is the victim in a teenage sex scandal, and somehow Tyler is the prime suspect. Tyler had nothing to do with it, but when everyone - including his hard-nosed father - believes he did, Tyler starts to spiral into a nightmarish, paranoid state of mind. He is desperate to find a way out of the mess he's in ...Will he have the courage not to take the easy option?

REVIEW

A quick read, this tale of one boys struggle against gossip and scandal is fascinating. Tyler is snarky, funny and interesting, and it was great to see how he dealt with the situation he found himself in...he is accused of a crime he didn't commit and his family is a total nightmare. I honestly didn't know how it was going to end, and once I'd read it I found myself flicking back through to reread passages I liked. Perfect for an indulgent afternoon of reading!

- Gem.

GUEST REVIEW: Every Day - David Levithan

GENRE: Contemporary/Fantasy
PAGES: 384
PUBLISHER: Electric Monkey
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

Every day I am someone else. I am myself - I know I am myself - but I am also someone else. It has always been like this. Each morning, A wakes up in a different body. There's never any warning about who it will be, but A is used to that. Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. And that's fine - until A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with - every day...

REVIEW

I personally enjoyed this book and thought that the idea was original because I haven’t read a book similar to this. The only book I’ve read by this other is Will Grayson, Will Grayson which is co-authored by John Green- an author I really enjoy reading the books of.

THIS WILL HAVE SOME SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!

This book is about a being who has named themselves A who borrows other peoples’ bodies for a day. This being goes to sleep and wakes up in a different body and this happens every day. A has no gender and no own physical body. 

Click through to read more.

GUEST REVIEW: The Jewel - Amy Ewing

GENRE: Dark Fantasy
PAGES: 400
PUBLISHER: Penguin
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

This review refers to an uncorrected proof edition.

SUMMARY

The Handmaid's Tale meets The Other Boleyn Girl in a world where beauty and brutality collide. Violet Lasting is no longer a human being. Tomorrow she becomes Lot 197, auctioned to the highest royal bidder in the Jewel of the Lone City. Tomorrow she becomes the Surrogate of the House of the Lake, her sole purpose to produce a healthy heir for the Duchess. Imprisoned in the opulent cage of the palace, Violet learns the brutal ways of the Jewel, where the royal women compete to secure their bloodline and the surrogates are treated as disposable commodities. Destined to carry the child of a woman she despises, Violet enters a living death of captivity - until she sets eyes on Ash Lockwood, the royal Companion. Compelled towards each other by a reckless, clandestine passion, Violet and Ash dance like puppets in a deadly game of court politics, until they become each other's jeopardy - and salvation.

REVIEW

One fatal blood test and Violet's future was determined forever. Being a surrogate mother comes at a price, and a price that Violet has no choice but to pay.

Brought up in the Marsh, Violet is a country girl with a stubborn flair and the most unusual eye color. Living in the South gate foundling house, she meets Raven, with her quick remarks and a tendency to disobey, Raven and Violet become dear friends over their four years at the founding house, but that friendship cant last forever. Each surrogate must be sold, at the annual auction. Every girl must be sold,and Violet is no exception. 

Violet is sold to the House of the Lake, it comes with it's privileges and things that Violet has never experienced before become normal daily routine for her. However,the lady she is sold to is somewhat strange and unpredictable. Her time in the castle as the surrogate is fairly pleasant and she becomes good friends with her Lady In Waiting Annabelle and a member of the preparation team, Lucien. Violet has her own tea parlor,drawing room and other luxuries. This does not change her desire to get out of the palace and away from being a surrogate mother. 

This book will certaintly leave every reader wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I believe it is one of the best books I have ever read. Everything is described in such detail and it is so different to any other book I have ever read. I lost myself in this book, once I started to read the first few pages I couldn't put it down.I got so involved in the book that I can imagine clearly in my head what each of the characters look like. It is in some chapters, quick a dark book as it can be quite sad however there must be a happy ending and everyone loves a happy ending. With Violet being a strong and determined character, I believe this book trilogy could be as popular as The Hunger Games and Divergent as they both have such strong female leads and I believe Violet has the same Characteristics as Katniss (Hunger Games) and Tris (Divergent). I really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure, romance and believes that things can change for the better.

- Lauren

@_itslauren_JLS

GUEST REVIEW: Cracks - Caroline Green

GENRE: Dystopia
PAGES: 224
PUBLISHER: Piccadilly Press
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 3 Stars

SUMMARY

Cal Conway thinks it's his mind that's breaking when cracks start appearing that no one else can see. He discovers that, far from leading an ordinary life in a northern town in 2010 as he thought, he has spent his whole life so far in a research facility, suspended in a deliberately induced coma state.

REVIEW

I received a free copy of this book from Piccadilly Press in exchange for a honest review. This does not affect my review/opinions in any way. Thank you Piccadilly Press!

Cracks is one of those books I'm in the middle with. I didn't really love it, but I didn't hate it by any stretch of the imagination.

The blurb doesn't give too much away (the Goodreads one does, so I've used the book one here) so I didn't know what to expect from this. I requested it on a recommendation from Jack, who loves it. So, I'm not going to talk about what happens in this book because I think it ruins the story.

The plotline was interesting and I had questions from the start. However, as it went on, I found it became kind of complicated. I thought the original live was good but then a huge plot twist came in, and I think that that is what put me off this book.

As a character, Cal was okay. I had no particular interest in him, nor a hate of him (much like the entire book, in fact).

Also, the ending annoyed me. Now, I know there is a sequel, but I saw no need for the cliffhanger. Just another couple of sentences would have done it for me.

I can't really comment on the romance, because of the plotline twists. But, it was really sweet and I did like it as a sub-plot within the book.

So overall, I am quite indifferent about this book. It was neither good or bad, and the aspect that really decided my rating was definitely the plotline.

- Charli.