Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber

Caraval by Stephanie Garber is one of those books that has had the literary industry, particularly the Young Adult genre, in a state of excitement for a debut author. 

Published by: Flatiron Books

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Tagline: Remember, It's only a game

Rating: *****

Sold to the readers with an exciting blurb of:

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . .

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

The Review:

First, of all, I was beyond impressed with this novel. With tickets to meet Stephanie in Manchester, I admit I only read her novel two days prior to the event which meant the book would be firmly in my mind, or erasing the memory of my reading for university. However, this meant that I was forced into a situation I am hardly ever in. The dreaded moment where your best friend had read the novel before me. 


But I found the tale of the two sisters quite entertaining. I had my ups and down, a few moments of messaging said friend for spoilers because it had me on the edge of my seat guessing. All in all, the novel was fantastic. Especially considering all the reviews and positive reception it had, and still is being given.

Yet, I was lucky enough to have met Stephanie on her UK tour in Manchester. Her conversation with fellow readers, writers and bloggers was incredibly inspiring. Different to the some of the authors I've met in these situations, I felt as if hers was probably the most inspiring and relatable. If only my writing career could be as successful as hers.

Additional Information/titbits:

Caraval can be purchased at almost every major bookseller across the world - Stephanie Garber has confirmed this through the recent publications across Europe. Please be aware that there is six alternate covers which makes it super fun to see which one you'll end up with.

The Rose & The Dagger (The Wrath & The Dawn #2) by Renee Ahdieh

The Rose & The Dagger (The Wrath & The Dawn #2) by Renee Ahdieh

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA Fantasy, YA Romance

Rating:*****!

I LOVE THIS SERIES!

The capitals were definitely needed. The Wrath and The Dawn was one of my favourite books to read last year and the sequel did not disappoint.

It kicks off after the end of Wrath and boy did it get going.

As we might know, Shahrzad is not with Khalid, the man believed to be a monster but is actually the Caliph of Khorasan. Instead she is back with her family and the one person we all secretly dislike, Tariq (aka the childhood sweetheart). She should be happy. I could have been happy but Tariq is so set on destroying Khalid's rule that Shahrzad cannot go back to her previous life without difficulty. Technically she's a prisoner of war despite there being no locks on tent doors. However, like she did in the first book, she finds a loophole that allows her to plan.

I finished this book within twenty-four hours and was left wanting a third book (Ahdieh please answer our wishes and grant us one last trip). Overall the series has been a wonderful journey and if you're looking for a book to devour this summer, then the series is perfect. Plus the hardback cover is absolutely beautiful!

The Rose & The Dagger can be bought from Amazon UK now.

Lady Midnight (Dark Artifices#1) by Cassandra Clare

Lady Midnight (Dark Artifices#1) by Cassandra Clare

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Romance

Rating: *****

I don't think there has actually been a time where I have ever given Cassandra Clare a negative review. 

It's true though. I absolutely love her world and where she takes the reader. Lady Midnight is no exception to this rule because Emma is so different to Clary or Tessa. She's the next generation shadowhunter and absolutely fantastic to read about. 

The reader sinks straight back into the world of demons and angels alike, as if it was only a month since the publication of the Mortal Instrument's final book. But like usual, Clare creates a difficult but understandable relationship for her protagonist and it does break your heart when there is no clue as to whether things will work out or not.

Of course we get brief appearances of Tessa/Jem, Clary/Jace which makes our hearts sing with joy as we all want to know what is happening with them. I guess I just wish she wrote a separate book for just them because I did flick forward a few pages.

Lady Midnight is out now. 

Me Before You (Me Before You #1) by Jojo Moyes

Me Before You (Me Before You #1) by Jojo Moyes

Published by: Viking

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Rating: *****

Warning: This book is a tear-jerker.

Me Before You is a heartstring-tugging book that will make any reader sob as they reach the final pages. 

Lou Clark isn't the sharpest tool in the box nor is she one for wanting to leave her hometown. Instead she's content with working the same job she's had for years, serving coffee in an old cafe and knowing that she'll probably never marry her longtime boyfriend. She's so very different from any female lead than I've had the privilege of reading and that's why I felt even more drawn to this book. 

Will Traynor on the otherhand has had the time, money and privilege to leave his hometown and do what he wanted before the accident. Something that left him permanently disabled and in need of someone to look after him. 

But there's more to the story. Lou has barely six months to try and cheer Will up and see if he might change his mind about Dignitas. 

Me Before You is a story about two individuals who want the other's circumstances to be different. Its a story that will change the world of anyone who reads it. I cannot get over it and nor can I forget suppressing tears on the bus home from work. 

The book can be bought from any major retailers especially since the film adaptation will be out in cinemas soon.

Join Up (Island trilogy #3) by Tudor Robins

Join Up (Island trilogy #3) by Tudor Robins

Published by: the author

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Rating: Five Stars

A huge thank you to Tudor for letting me have an advance copy

I cannot believe the series is over. Cue the tissues because I absolutely adored this book and the series. Having told Ms Robins that her books are amazing and inspired me, I think this book is further evidence that horsey books need to be out in the world more.

Join Up concludes Lacey's life as she leaves the island and all it's inhabitants to spend the summer earning money for college and maybe discovering more about herself. The camp is for kids who want to learn more about horses, to have an experience of actually owning one for a few weeks without the responsibility of forever keeping one. It's a magical thing these camps. But Lacey takes it in her stride as she teaches her students and keeps up connections to the island. 

But things change. Life changes us all. Lacey meets someone who could potentially replace Jared in her heart and he might have four legs. Of course she finds another horse. He doesn't hold a flame to Salem but there's definitely something between him and Lacey that keeps her coming back for more and more. 

It's a weird situation I'm in. I want to say so much more about the book but I can't without spoiling the end. All I can say is that this is the series you need to read if you love horses. 

Join Up is available for purchase at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

The Fixer (The Fixer #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Fixer (The Fixer #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Published by: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Genre: Young adult thriller, contemporary, crime (almost)

Tagline: Any problem can be fixed for a price.

Sold as Scandal meets Veronica Mars, I was immediately intrigued by this book. And I have to say it was absolutely amazing! I'm a huge Scandal fan so reading this felt like one of those episodes and left me wanting absolutely more.

The Fixer focuses on teenage protagonist Tess Kendrick whose parents are dead. She lives with her grandfather on a ranch away from the hustle and bustle of Washington D.C. However this all changes when her sister manages to get her to move into the city and places her into a new world of politics and typical rich people problems as Scandal does. Yet as she starts at the fancy school for children of the higher up, she discovers she has a gift just like her sister.

Ivy Kendrick is a fixer. She finds and solves problems for the politicians, royals etc. She's a younger Olivia Pope in all simpleness. Tess and Ivy are typical sisters who have grown apart. There's a lot of tension between the two as expected but Jennifer Lynn Barnes makes it work. Okay so she makes it very natural and not at all over the top as some authors do.

But then there's that little problem. There's a theory that a death wasn't just a death and Tess copies her sister and delves into it headfirst whilst tackling school, family secrets and possible romance. She's not just any schoolgirl, she's a fixer like Ivy.

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My overall opinion?

I absolutely bloody loved this book. Devoured in less than two days,  I found myself hooked on every word as the storyline developed into a fascinating and amazing storyline. I gasped and gripped my kindle throughout the shocking moments, the parts where I wanted to scream at the book and even when I was super happy about everything and nothing.

Tess Kendrick is an amazing protagonist. A strong female lead that we need more of in books targetted for young audiences!

***

The Fixer is available in hardback via Amazon UK with the paperback available from May 2016 but in the states it is available now.

City Love by Susane Colasanti

City Love by Susane Colasanti

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: Young Adult romance, Contemporary

Tagline: Look up. Anything is possible.

First of all I want to say that this book was absolutely breathtaking and captivating. I don't think a book has affected me so much in my life before. It made me feel as if I was in every scene of the books, as if I was part of those girls and experienced everything they did. And as someone considering the future, it definitely made me think about emigrating to New York so thank you Ms Colasanti for a beautiful and magnificent book!

But now back to the book!

City Love is split between the lives of three very different girls from different lives who share an apartment before starting college or university in the city. The reader is introduced to Sadie, Darcy and Rosanna in very different ways but you get to know each girl in how that happens. 

Sadie is the first person we meet. She's that friend we all have, the ready to be completely in love and totally optimistic about everything. I genuinely liked Sadie because of these characteristics. Of course I felt a bit off about how damned happy she could be but she's literally like a puppy. Adorable and one of the best and loyal friends you could have.

Then there's Darcy. Darcy is the opposite of Sadie with her fast attitude and at first, laziness. We discover this is jetlag because she's from Cali. But she's not who we think she is. She's been burned and so this explains everything about her. Yet there's so much more to the complex puzzle that makes her who she is.

Rosanna is the last girl to introduce and probably my favourite. She's the poorest student out of the three, and the one who is very realistic. She so desperately wants to help everyone and anyone but needs to help herself. She has so much weight on her shoulder, so many problems to tackle and solve that when she meets someone who can actually treat her right, she's very uncertain of what to do. 

It's a fantastic book that explores the magical city of New York and it's allure. We all fall more in love with the city through each character and their experiences. We all want to move there and experience almost the same things as the girls do but this is the exciting part about New York. The reason there are so many books and films set in and around the city. We all just want to fall in love and this is the city to do it in.

City Love is available to buy from Amazon UK and Amazon USA now.

The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

What possibly could I say to get you to read this book?

How about the fact that it's from the author of amazing series such as Shifters and Soul Screamers? If that doesn't work then maybe this review might. 

The book inserts the reader into an almost apocalyptic world, I had the feeling I was stuck in the last of Us world minus the zombies and a bit more civilised and noone wanting to kill you. However you get the gist of everything Vincent wants you to get and more. The characters are wonderful, very easy to get, understand and relate to whilst being entertaining and clearly able to be envisioned in your mind. 

I was blown away by this book. I only finished it last night and I couldn't even sit down and read some other arcs. That is very rare. 

The Stars Never Rise is out June 18th 2015 and should be available at most bookstores in the UK.

Go buy this book because it's amazing!!

Volition by Lily Paradis

Volition by Lily Paradis

Can we just take a moment to look at how beautiful the cover is?

My first impression with the novel was how amazing the author was to include not just a quote by Courtney Love ("I found my inner bitch and ran with her") but the fact that in her foreword she considers the book a horcrux (which to people who haven't had the time to grace their lives with Harry Potter is like a piece of your soul). From there I was in love. 

Tate the protagonist is messed up. She's got the big chip on the shoulder syndrome going on and instead of the book being all eugh, it was really good. I was thoroughly entertained and hooked throughout the novel, even with the whole Rockefeller parts, yes they were a bit ott but were really good.

I can't give this book enough praise. I am so happy I read it.

Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1) by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1) by Victoria Aveyard

What can I say? I've waited ages to share this with everyone but I couldn't until the book was actually published. 

Red Queen is eerily alike Queen of the Tearling in how they both take a few reads to actually like. Weird but it's true. I didn't know whether I wanted to like Mare and her weird powers but by the end of it, I was fully invested in the book to the point that when a certain thing happened I screamed noooo! Like the absolute nerd I am.

It's definitely for fans of Tearling, Hunger Games (possibly), Maze Runner and a few other dystopian novels that would take me forever to list. 

Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) by Maria V.Snyder

Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) by Maria V.Snyder

My initial reaction to recieving this before publication is still hard to describe. I think jumping up and down, screaming and then calming myself down for a moment to then realise I'd be getting to read more about Yelena and Valek.

So Shadow Study is a new series created in the wonderful world by Snyder that carries on from both the Poison study and Glass Study series so we all get our favourite characters and can live the dream every fan has. 

I was super happy to read more into Valek because he's that mysterious character who never truly opens up as much as you want but this book makes you part of him and I loved that! Yelena in her typical fashion encounters problems she wants to solve herself minus Valek (as per) and it turns into something much larger but still she says nothing. A silly thing but something we've grown to expect from her character. Valek on the otherhand is still in the castle but there's a few moments with an assassin that encourages him to think about his own past ie training to be an assassin etc which as I've said is fascinating as hell!

By getting an early copy I was excited as hell until i finished it. Then it dawned on me that I would have to wait for the sequel to be finished to actually be satisfied (and I doubted that, this series will be on heck of a series) and have the answers to my questions.

*note to readers, I have tried immensely hard to avoid giving away spoilers because anything I could say apart from the above would spoil the book or make you guess what happens and I deeply recommend that you read the book!

Locked (Locked#1) by Eva Morgan

Locked (Locked#1) by Eva Morgan

So this was a book that has made it on my all time favourite books ever list. I'm not even joking, I LOVED this book!

Because of the recent BBC adaptation and updated version of Sherlock Holmes, a lot of authors are writing about this modern and perhaps socially awkward Sherlock Holmes but never had I had the honour of reading about a young Sherlock who was growing up as this genius. I loved how Morgan inserted his witty and deductive skills. kept him as annoying and lovable as he is whilst ensuring the readers are captivated by a beautiful story. However the protagonist isn't Sherlock, it's a young Irene Adler who I found was portrayed a lot different than her appearance in the TV show and the books. I found this Adler to be rather ordinary BUT fantastic as an opposite to Sherlock. She was on par with him, able to make him see the error of his ways, to confuse him but also managed to bring a side of Sherlock that I hope to see again very soon in the sequel!

The Originals: The Rise by Julie Plec

The Originals: The Rise by Julie Plec

I cried when my request to read this approved. Okay so cry is a bit strong. I wept in delight because it's Klaus. Everyone loves Klaus!

This book starts off before the tv show, it's New Orleans still but it gives you more of a background and it's got Klaus in it (That is how I'll sell this book). Within the novel you get the typical Elijah is a saint, always helping the family, Klaus the one who's reckless and does what he does as seen in VD and TO. Rebeckah is Rebecca, the girl who falls in love and the world is against them until bad things happens. I felt like I was in their world even more than when I watch the show. 

All fans of the series will adore this book. 

The Infinite Sea (The Fifth Wave #2) by Rick Yancey

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Firstly I must gush about how much I LOVE this book! Yes it really deserves the capitals and the exclaimation mark because as a sequel it blew my mind. Barely an hour it took me to read this. That's how captivated and hooked I was. 

The novel continues on from Fifth Wave in that epicly confusing point of view of Ringer. See because it's literally been ages since reading fifth wave, I didn't click who everyone was, I immediately assumed Ringer was Ben and then went on to be why is ben in two places until I remembered (with the help of a wikia page) who everyone was and so my mind was happy.

This aside though, the book was fantastic. I had the incredible feeling of superiority over Louise because she had only started reading it as I finished and after her epsiode with the Allegiant spoilers, I had to at least tease her a little... Well I could have been a better person but nope. Not gonna happen 

The Madman's Daughter series (So Far) by Megan Shepherd

The Madman's Daughter series to day by Megan Shepherd

I was skeptical to read this series. It just sounded like another of those retellings and absoltuely boring. It was only because of Cinder and Epic Reads that I actually thought okay here we go. 

I am SO glad I did. This is a fantastic book. I was thoroughly entertained and hooked instantly. The twists and Victorian setting was well done and accurate. Just wow. 

The second book is set after the events of the first. Again I was kind of worried about second book syndrome but it wonderfully didn't, instead it almost blew me away! I just need that third book asap!

Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

Pawn by Aimee Carter

So this book caught my attention with it's cover. For some reason I was reall drawn to it and the blurb. It's a fairly simple book to read. There's a girl who's masked to resemble the prime minister's recently "deceased" daughter and she's caught in the midst of a rebellion and the law. What she chooses is her choice, I found it a straightforward read. It was almost refreshing if compared to the drama filled sci-fi/dystopian books I'd tried reading this week. 

We Were Liars by E.Lockhart

We Were Liars by E.Lockhart

It's been so long since I read an E.Lockhart book that I floundered for so long about if I should get this or not. Louise ended up buying it and then told me to start reading it...So I did after a few months. Yes I am late jumping onto the bandwagon but bloody hell this book blew my mind. It was so unsuspecting, it comes across as a summer holiday for rich kids gone wrong in that Jenny Han secret way. But the last two chapters decieve you and pull the wool from your eyes when you discover the big secret and my is it good!

Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman

Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman

After reading If I Stay I had to read the sequel. I had to find out what happened to Mia and Adam and what had become of her since that accident.

I was amazed and a little skeptic to read it from Adam's point of view, especially when you really fall for his character in If I Stay because how could you resist him? But still he's such a great character and I enjoyed seeing the accident through his eyes and the aftermath of it. I was super shocked to see what had happened to Mia but it made sense, Gayle Forman really made it connect to the first whilst still making it  a brilliant sequel. If someone asked me which I prefer the most, I would say both. They're equally attention grabbing and beautiful books that made me cry and laugh and wish for what Adam and Mia have.

So I read a really good book the other day and I wholly recommed it to everyone

A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier

It was a fine night to die.

Okay so this book was something I had had my eye on for a few months. The blurb makes it sound so Book Thief-esque (A book I truly loved) and so I waited for it to be published. 

The reading started on my lunch break at work, just after I finished the Grisha trilogy (FANTASTIC SERIES!) and I needed something to read which made me chance upon this on my ebook. Oh was I glad to find this, I was instantly hooked and even guessed a few possible plot twists (which some came true). But I had it finished by the middle of my train journey home, it was that good! 

However I would push this as a book for historical fiction fans or fans of similar books like Michael Morpurgo's War Horse or The Boy in the Striped Pajamas etc. That pre/post ww1 and ww2 theme is quite a strong link between these books but I do strongly suggest you read these!

The Lost World (Jurassic Park #2) by Michael Crichton

The Lost World: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton




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