Warrior Witch (The Malediction Trilogy #3) by Danielle L. Jenson

Published by: Angry Robot

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, YA, Romance.

Tagline: Sometimes, one must become the unimaginable

Rating: ****

Warrior Witch picks up from the events of Hidden Huntress with a bang. Okay not literally, but you get the point. We're inserted back into the narratives of Cecile and Tristan, something that started in the second book, and it is hard to describe how this book made me feel. It's the last book. Kept continuously on my toes, I tried to force myself to finish this book in the brief slow parts, but when I was past them, then it was straight forward and easy going. 

We start with Cecile who's desperately trying to save the people of Trollus and of course, her husband. She's strong and fierce in one moment, and vulnerable the next. A perfect queen, even if she doesn't know it yet. Tristan on the otherhand comes across as a right pain. There's something about the gap between the books that has made me grow to dislike him. 

However. it's a good ending. A bit different, but good.

You can buy Warrior Witch from Amazon UK now.

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic, Contemporary

Rating: ****

Eden's story is split into the four parts of her high school life. It's something that describes the proper process of life on the day she was raped, and the effects that have on her afterward. Yes, rape does sometimes cause the victim to act out as a method of coping, no it should not be taken lightly and Eden's fictional story can be considered a warning of how other people watching her downfall should not act.

The Way I Used to Be is a typical contemporary YA novel. It follows the basic codes of having the issue presented and how the protagonist must work their way around said issue to change and become a better person. However, Eden is no ordinary protagonist. Instead, her behavior spirals out of control as she sheds her band geek skin to become dangerous and a fan of unhealthy behavior. I feel that Amber Smith has written a book that is applicable to almost anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, harassment and even rape due to the way the young teenage minds have to fight and resort to changing their behavior in order to cope with the sheer trauma they have endured. It isn't fun and it can't be fun to watch. 

What is alarming, though, is the fact that Eden's parents just class it as generic teenage hormones, something that it could be considered to be, but not if one considers the fact Eden is openly asking for help despite not wanting to say anything.

The Way I Used to Be is available to buy from Amazon now.

Unrivaled (Beautiful Idols #1) by Alyson Noel

Unrivaled (Beautiful Idols #1) by Alyson Noel

Published by: Katherine Tegen

Genre: Young Adult Romance, Young Adult Contemporary

Tagline: Welcome to the party

Rating:****

The book follows a few characters on their endeavour to win a competition. Through this, the reader encounters the mean ad celebrity filled streets of Los Angeles and there's a mystery/thriller as a famous actress goes missing.

So my main thoughts of this book was how much I wasn't sure if I didn't like it or not. Torn between wanting to stop reading it for fear of losing my sanity - it got to the point I was contemplating trying it later, or continuing it so I might just discover what the hell was going on.

However things did pick up. Thank god for that! But the sad news was that it picked up too late. For me, I became interested as the novel ended because that was when the true thriller/mystery aspect kicked in.

(A free copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley.)


Unrivalled can be purchased from all retailers, or on Amazon UK now.

Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman

Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman

Published by: Little Brown

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Publication Date: May 5th 2016 

Rating: ****

A huge thank you to Little Brown for letting me have an advance copy!

Told via two perspectives, Girls on Fire is a complex book that tells the story of how strong a friendship can be between two girls. 

Hannah "Dex" Dexter is at first described as a normal girl. She's quiet and smart and just the girl not many people would recognise unless its Nikki Drummond aka the school bitch calling her out for almost anything she can. Lacey on the otherhand is the opposite. As the new girl in town, she's already caught attention that isn't precisely welcome but throughout the novel she becomes a figure that we're pushed and positioned to go from liking to disliking. Back and forth on an endless cycle. 

The book starts with the suicide of Nikki's boyfriend which triggers the book into action like a pile of dominoes falling around the two girls in a vast maze. I admit I got confused and lost a few times because my heart wasn't in it. By pushing my way past the difficult parts, the book became easier to read and follow but parts just weren't interesting. Maybe that's just me, others will probably like the book much better than I did.

A four star rating was the best I could do. 

Girls on Fire will be available from May 5th in most bookstores.

See How They Run (Embassy Row #2) by Ally Carter

See How They Run (Embassy Row #2) by Ally Carter

Published by:Scholastic Press

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary

Rating: Four Stars

Following on from the thrilling first novel in the Embassy Row series, Ally Carter crafts an intriguing story that carries on from the aftermath of Grace's revelations. The arrival of her brother in the Embassy sets her on an edge, one bigger than the troubles of the previous book, and things certainly don't get boring. Filled with a thrilling tale of who is to blame for her mother's death and whether she can trust anyone at all, See How They Run is absolutely fantastic. You're always kept on your toes.

I was pleasantly happy with this book. As sequels come, this continued on from the first without a need to recap everything every ten pages. Instead I felt slightly reminded and then thrust back into Grace's world and her endeavour to seek the truth about her mother and her life. The reasoning behind the four stars was because I felt there could have been a bit more to the book. There was a moment that felt quite unrealistic. I mean come on if someone was stabbed, then they should be injured longer than a few pages.

See How They Run can be bought from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

P.S. I Still Love You (To All The Boys I've Loved Before #2) by Jenny Han

P.S. I Still Love You (To All The Boys I've Loved Before #2) by Jenny Han

Published by: Simon and Schuster for Young Reader

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Rating: ****

I've had the paperback sitting on a shelf for about a month and a half staring at me. Unfortunately due to the start of my third and final year of University and just not being in the right mood to read it, I've not properly been able to read it until now!

Jenny Han is famed for her amazing summer read series The Summer I Turned Pretty. That series made me fall in love with her writing style and the wonderful characters she creates. 

P.S. I Still Love You continues on from the first book, and follows young Lara Jean as she tries to decipher what her heart wants admist the fiasco with Peter. I'm not going to lie. As a twenty year old I had huge flashbacks for how I felt at her age and some parts I argued were a bit too fantasized but I'm not American or raised with her parents so maybe I'm wrong for feeling that way.

Lara Jean continues her deciding on whether she wants Peter or not, her sisters are so funny and she becomes as we all do, confused. I admire Han on not making her a weak character, a victim of the Bella Swan syndrome but instead simply who she is. A young teenager with the world ahead of her. I laughed and smiled my way through the book and by the time I closed the last page, I couldn't help but think of Belly from the Summer series. 

Both girls are so similar that I feel like I'm reading an alternative world version of the Summer series and that makes me feel like I'm getting another chance to relive that series. (Frantically burrows out the series.)

But there was so much that I couldn't fault. Miss Han has a fantastic way of creating teenage protagonists who mature and transform so much over the span of the series that it's almost as if we too are growing up with them. That's something I admire in authors, particularly Young Adult as it helps us become who we will be someday.

P.S. I Still Love You is available to buy from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Burn Girl by Mandy Mikulencak

Burn Girl by Mandy Mikulencak

Published by: Albert Whitman and Company

Genre: YA, contemporary, romance

Rating: ****

Burn Girl is the type of book I read every summer purely because it provides a getaway from reality. It's like reading Sarah Dessen, everybody reads Sarah Dessen in their lifetime because she writes wonderful stories about characters who are different and have pasts or troubles that they need help or support with.

Arlie's scarred. Her face is disfigured thanks to her stepfather and his accomplices when they blew up a Meth lab. Her mother has just died of an overdose, yet Arlie suspects there's more to the story and to top it off, she's being forced to live with an Uncle she didn't know existed until now. 

Her new school isn't kind. What school is? But Arlie gets by through her best friend and the kindness of her newly discovered Uncle. But that isn't enough turmoil for the poor girl. Instead the dreaded stepfather returns claiming her mother owed him money and now Arlie has inherited the same debt and must pay it off.

But what can a sixteen year old do? She's got no job or access to the kind of capital that the stepfather wants. In the same time as his reappearance, she's got her own problems like school, boys and her home life. The poor girl is so traumatised that she can't even taste or smell, and it's all this idiot's fault.

It's a tough cookie of a story and maybe that's why I liked it so much. Mikulencak writes a very gritty and interesting story that put me in Arlie's perspective and admire how she overcame a lot in what could be considered a short period of time. A very strong lead indeed.

Burn Girl can be bought from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

Published by: Simon Pulse

Genre: Young Adult, romance

Rating:****

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids follows troubled protagonist Elyse D'abreau after a tragic accident that has left her incapable to speak.

In the seaside resort of Atargis Cove, she writes poems on paper and ships until one day she writes on the wrong person's ship. Meeting the famed summer resident Christian, Elyse slowly begins to exit her shell.

The book itself is quick read. I managed to read it on my way home from Chester which is about an hour max. I was bored though. There was something about this that didn't read as easy as Ocklers other novels. I just wasn't a fan and this is probably why I have so little to say about this.

Sea of Stars (Kricket #2) By Amy A. Bartol

Sea of Stars (Kricket #2) By Amy A. Bartol

Published by: 47North

Genre:Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi, YA/NA

A huge thank you to 47North for letting me read this wonderful book.

Sea of Stars is a fantastic sequel. Most books following such a fantastic first are often rushed or boring because the author takes time to setup for the next or the final. Sea of Stars made me very happy as I was literally continuing on Krickets big adventure.

Following on from Under Different Stars, Kricket is evolving into a true citizen of Rafe and has so far denied most of her Alameedian heritage. Thankfully most of the bad stuff that happened to her in the first isn't over. She's getting stronger and we find out more about those abilities of hers.

War is happening. But it's a classic case of Cassandra with Kricket. You feel awful but understand why the Rafians react like that. It's just a very weird place the reader is placed in but we're completely aware of all sides to the story at that moment.

I admit I skipped a few pages on this book. I got a little bored with all the romance drama between the Alameedian guy (literally cannot remember his name right now) but I was more annoyed with the face she did nothing but run away or be rescued. Yes I know women on Rafe don't fight or anything but surely she could have been allowed to do something remotely active.

I think this is the end of my review for now. When I've read the third and final installment, I might change things a little on here.

Otherwise, Sea of Stars can be bought from Amazon UK or Amazon US,

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige

Published by: Harpercollins

Genre: YA, YA Retellings, Fantasy

A magical return to Oz with a twist.

Amy Gumm is just another trailer park girl from Kansas. She's wears charity shop clothes, her mother steals money from her and she's basically friendless. But a tornado comes and takes her from present day Kansas and into the magical world of Oz that isn't so magical anymore. 

Oz nowadays is very different from the sunshine and rainbows when Dorothy went there. Now Dorothy has become a malevolent force, she's sucking the land dry of it's magic.

So you might ask what Amy has to do with this?

Well the title says it all...

--

I found the book on a first read to be a disaster. I didn't get past the first three chapters and just couldn't bring myself to like it. However I recently reread the book and loved it.

Just goes to show that if you dislike a book at first, you might like it months later because we're constantly shifting our likes and dislikes. I'm a strong believer in giving some books a second read and this was a perfect example of this.

Amy Gumm is a bit annoying at first, you don't pity her which is fantastic. Most authors want you to pity their protag but Paige made Amy stand out more this way. I loved how the story developed and became more and more thrilling. I just ended up devouring the book on my way home, and then rushing out the next day for the sequel.

Dorothy Must Die can be bought from Amazon UK and Amazon US now.

Jesse's Girl (Hundred Oaks) by Miranda Kenneally

Jesse's Girl (Hundred Oaks) by Miranda Kenneally

Published by: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Young Adult romance, contemporary, music

Tagline: One day will change the beat of her heart

Just to let you all know, Hundred Oaks is the universe in which most of Miranda Kenneally's books are set in. She's very similar to Sarah Dessen who writes her book in the fictional town of Colby.

Jesse's Girl is a very short book. I was able to read it within the space of an hour which pleasantly surprised me. The books focuses on the life and aspirations of talented but unknown musicican Maya Henry who's supposedly amazing at guitar. Maya is a very typical musical orientated teen who knows what she wants and works very hard but she needs a little more confidence to go solo.

Her school has a shadowing day where classmates follow a person who practices their dream job and Maya manages to shadow Jesse Scott who is a huge country/rockstar. Oh and I forgot to mention the book is set in Nashville.

So she follows Jesse around who acts like a complete tool and then extremely nice. He's wary but so is she. It's weird how alike the duo can be but we all know where it'll end. 

--

I wasn't too sure about this. I loved other Hundred Oak books because they were quick easy simple summer reads but this felt different. I wasn't too sure she felt authentic enough as a protagonist yet at times she felt just right. It's strange. 

Jesse's Girl can be bought from Amazon UK and Amazon USA

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) by Anne Blankman

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) by Anne Blankman

Published by: Balzer + Bray
Genre: Young Adult, Historical fiction

As a sequel I wasn't too sure about reading this. Mainly because of the topic and that I didn't know whether it would stand up to how amazing the first book was. However it was much much more thrilling. 

Gretchen and Daniel have been living in England, their lives so different to the ones in Germany but on Gretchen's birthday, a telegram arrives. Daniel leaves and heads back to the place the story started. Hitler's Germany.  Gretchen follows him, after recieving some money from her adoptive English family (who are super kind) and has to avoid friends, family and enemies as she tries to track Daniel down. The worst part? She sees the ones she loves, cares for get taken away by the SA/SS/police. It's a horrific thing to even imagine, let alone read. I hold a big amount of respect to Anne Blankman.

As a historical fiction aimed for young adult, I can't express how happy I was to read such a well-researched and compelling series. I was blown away by how Blankman managed to write about such a horrific time and by writing from a different perspective as well. 

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke can be bought from Waterstones, Amazon UK  and Amazon US

Remember by Shannon Dermott

Remember by Shannon Dermott

Published by: Wicked Truth Publishing

Genre: Young Adult. Fantasy, Romance

Tagline: Things hide in the shadows because of what's revealed in the light

I recieved this arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm conflicted over whether or not I like this book. 

I've read a few of Shannon Dermott's novels and I've just been as equally conflicted. But in Remember I felt as if the love triangle/square. whatever you want to call it, was really ridiculous and took priority over explaining what the hell was going on and why these guys were suddenly all over the protagonist.

I didn't actually finish the book. I lost interest and then tried to pick back up (hence the lateness of posting this) but maybe another day I might try and reread this and the  understand it.

But what I did really like was the attention to detail, how Demott became a teenager. I really really liked that! Everyone knows being a teenager is really awful, you're old enough to have responsibilities but too young to actually do what you want to do, so add to the mix a small town and that is our protagonist everyone. She's quite nerdy, but it's not like push up the big black framed glasses, it's subtle. Baggy shirts, marvel logoed shirts etc.

Yet that is then changed, Charlie or Charlize (super nice name!) starts to make an effort. Baggy shirts get a little tighter or fitted. She even buys a skirt at one point but it's part of the transition. Everyone goes through the stage of wanting to change up their style and to shed that awkward stage and I think Charlie does it well, okay maybe a little too over the top. But she's an alright kid.