WWW Wednesday (28th September)

 WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I am currently reading...

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her "our little genius."

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 loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.

I have recently finished...

In this chilling psychological thriller, one woman's dark past becomes another's deadly future 

In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared.  

She'd been enjoying her teenage summer break: working at a fast-food restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen—blood in the bed, periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched—though Bec remained oblivious of what was to come.
Eleven years later she is replaced. 

A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec.

Soon the imposter is living Bec's life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her mother and father. Learning her best friends' names. Playing with her twin brothers.

But Bec's welcoming family and enthusiastic friends are not quite as they seem. As the imposter dodges the detective investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real Bec Winter—and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large, and that she is in imminent danger.

I plan on reading next...

Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.

Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.

But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.

Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

 

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.

Why did it take me so long to pick this up? I honestly don't know. I won't make this a super long review either because let's face it, this books has been out a long time and reviewed by many. But let me tell you this. I have very much enjoyed reading this by the pool on my summer holiday. Books like Shadow and Bone are the reason why I love this genre so much. While it almost always uses the same sort of raw story line (often including a girl that discovers her powers and some sort of love triangle) they always decorate it in a very unique way and Leigh doesn't disappoint. The world building is amazing, all surrounding Grisha and Russian folklore. I genuinely think there is no better world building then the one in young adult fantasy and here is another one I enjoyed very much. While I could sort of guess where this is going to end in the love department it didn't stop me from enjoying the story. My favourite character has got to be Mal even tho I wish he'd opened his eyes a lot sooner. At the start of this story I really had some reservations towards Alina, I mean come oooooon surely she couldn't be so easily blinded? But she did grow on me and I think there is some amazing things in store for her in the future. And I do love myself a good villain, so thank you Leigh for giving us the Darkling. 

All in all this has been a superb read, a good a solid YA fantasy that can hold its own between all the other ones out there. It was a rather easy flowing book that was absolutely perfect for me while lounging in the sun. And at 99p in the kindle store a total steal and probably the best 99p I've ever spend. I was totally hooked and I am very excited for the next book. 

I wish I had started reading Leigh's books much sooner. I am very much looking forward to sinking my teeth into her new series, but I didn't want to touch that until I have read this one first. Honestly glad I've made this decision, it would have been a shame to have missed out on this little gem.

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #39

Weekly Wrap Up...

I have managed two books this week, just. And even that's been tough. I feel like I am so busy lately I have no time for myself. I am tired all the time but can't sleep at night, no idea what's going on. But I worked hard to finish two books and the first one was Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra and the second one was Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo, which was certainly a little more up my street then the first one. I am trying to get through all her books before the amazing book event next month at which Leigh will be too. 

In this chilling psychological thriller, one woman's dark past becomes another's deadly future 

In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared.  

She'd been enjoying her teenage summer break: working at a fast-food restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen—blood in the bed, periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched—though Bec remained oblivious of what was to come.
Eleven years later she is replaced. 

A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec.

Soon the imposter is living Bec's life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her mother and father. Learning her best friends' names. Playing with her twin brothers.

But Bec's welcoming family and enthusiastic friends are not quite as they seem. As the imposter dodges the detective investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real Bec Winter—and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large, and that she is in imminent danger.

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Stacking the Shelves... 

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

It's been a really good week when it comes to adding to my shelf. From surprise book post to Fairy Loot box, a winner from maximumpop and even an amazing approval on netgalley. 

First of all thank you to Maximumpop for another amazing giveaway. I've been wanting to add Broken Skies to my collection for some time now so I was very pleased to win this one.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for approving my request for Silver Star by Michael Grant. I enjoyed the first book in this series very much and have been waiting for this one in anticipation. 

My very first Fairy Loot box arrived and let me tell you it is aaaaaamazing!! It included and amazing book but I don't want to give that away just yet, instead I will make a post about my unboxing. 

Yesterday I've come home to two surprise books in my letter box. Let me just remind you how much I love surprises! Very very much! The first one is There May Be A Castle by Piers Torday, and OMG how cute is the ARC of that??? Thank you Lauren at Hachette Children, you're a star. 

And the second one is All Of Us And Everything by Bridget Asher, it promises humour and I really fancy some of that. So thank you Alison at Corvus for my copy. 

What a fantastic week its been for my Shelves! But I really do need to speed up my reading ;) 

Review: Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra

In this chilling psychological thriller, one woman's dark past becomes another's deadly future 

In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared.  

She'd been enjoying her teenage summer break: working at a fast-food restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen—blood in the bed, periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched—though Bec remained oblivious of what was to come. Eleven years later she is replaced. 

A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec.

Soon the imposter is living Bec's life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her mother and father. Learning her best friends' names. Playing with her twin brothers.

But Bec's welcoming family and enthusiastic friends are not quite as they seem. As the imposter dodges the detective investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real Bec Winter—and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large, and that she is in imminent danger.

I am so torn with this one. And I really wanted to love it, but the love never came.

The idea is amazing, take a girl full of her own troubles, she gets herself arrested but to save herself she claims to be Rebecca Winter. Bec has been missing for over 10 years and our girl always looked very similar. Before she knows it she finds herself in Bec's house, part of her family. But how long can she keep up the charade and will everyone believe her?

This book started off great, the concept is amazing and I couldn't wait to find out the troubles she will face with her family. But some expected troubles never happened and I found myself a little bored. What struck me the most was the fact that this just didn't seem believable. Furthermore I just couldn't connect with the main character. Weather that was the original Bec or our girl pretending to be her.

Such a shame, I think this could have been an amazing book. But for me, it just didn't do it.

Only daughter is out today!

WWW Wednesday (21st September)

 WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I am currently reading...

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

I have recently finished...

In this chilling psychological thriller, one woman's dark past becomes another's deadly future 

In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared.  

She'd been enjoying her teenage summer break: working at a fast-food restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen—blood in the bed, periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched—though Bec remained oblivious of what was to come. Eleven years later she is replaced. 

A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec.

Soon the imposter is living Bec's life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her mother and father. Learning her best friends' names. Playing with her twin brothers.

But Bec's welcoming family and enthusiastic friends are not quite as they seem. As the imposter dodges the detective investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real Bec Winter—and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large, and that she is in imminent danger.

I plan on reading next...

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius."

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 loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #38

Weekly Wrap Up

Considering it has been a crazy busy week I am really happy that I have finished my average of two books. It was rather hard to squeeze in some reading time but I've had a quiet Saturday and managed to do some catching up. The first book I have finished is As I Descended by Robin Talley. This has been a lovely surprise and hauntingly good. And the second book was GEMINA, eeeeeek! I still cant believe I managed to snap up an early copy. What a way to write a book, I cant get enough.

Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.

Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.

But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.

But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.

From acclaimed author Robin Talley comes a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.

The highly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that critics are calling “out-of-this-world awesome.”
 
Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.
     The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.
     Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.
     When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.
     But relax. They've totally got this. They hope.
     Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

Stacking the Shelves

I have finished two books and I have added two more to my shelves. And they are amazing... The first one is The Graces and this one I have ordered from the bookdepository in the US Hardback version, because OMG its the most beautiful book EVER! The second one is another beauty tho and its the Caraval!! I already own a paperback copy but the publisher send me a widget to download it on NetGalley and I just couldn't resist. Two incredible books that I cant wait to read.

Everyone said the Graces were witches.

They moved through the corridors like sleek fish, ripples in their wake. Stares followed their backs and their hair.

They had friends, but they were just distractions. They were waiting for someone different.

All I had to do was show them that person was me.

Like everyone else in her town, River is obsessed with the Graces, attracted by their glamour and apparent ability to weave magic. But are they really what they seem? And are they more dangerous than they let on?

This beautifully-written thriller will grip you from its very first page.

Before you enter the world of Caraval, you must remember that it’s all a game . . .

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

Then, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation to Caraval finally arrives. So, Tella enlists a mysterious sailor’s help to whisk Scarlett away to this year’s show. But as soon as the trio arrives, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nonetheless soon becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with her sister, with Legend, and with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Review: As I Descended by Robin Talley

Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.

Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.

But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.

But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.

From acclaimed author Robin Talley comes a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.

Judge me if you like but I have never really been into Shakespeare and I don't know much about Macbeth so this is not why I wanted to read this book. One was because my friend has read  it and really enjoyed it and two because I really liked the sound of the blurb as well as the look of the cover. So I will not be comparing it to the story on which it is loosely based.

This is the Story of Maria, Lily, Brandon, Mateo and Delilah. They all go to the same boarding school and the story begins with Maria, Lily and Brandon using a Quji board, during which strange things happen. But things have always been a little strange at this school. Many scary stories surround the school and its lake. When Lily and Maria decide to go and get what they want themselves no matter at what cost, things turn nasty. The dark powers seem to be helping them, but will they always be on their side? When people start to have accidents things get even worse. Not everyone believes them to be accidents. But how can they stop what has already began?

I was hooked from the start. This was exciting and very spooky. While at first I struggled to keep up with the changes of the POV, I soon realised how much it adds to the actual story. It gave us the chance to see how everyone handled the situation in a completely different way. How everyones fear takes hold at a different time. It made for some interesting and very fast paced reading, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

I really loved the characters in this, Maria and Lily who just couldn't be more different. While Maria takes life as it is, its Lily who is the driving force, the one who wants to go out there and get what she wants. But while they are both a fantastic couple, nobody else knows about their feelings.

I seriously enjoyed reading this, it was well written and I feel that I have connected with all the characters.

Chilling, atmospheric and utterly unmissable.

Thank you to Young Adult HQ for my copy.

WWW Wednesday (14th September)

 WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I am currently reading...

The highly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that critics are calling “out-of-this-world awesome.”

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

I have recently finished...

Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.

Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.

But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.

But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.

From acclaimed author Robin Talley comes a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.

I plan on reading next...

In this chilling psychological thriller, one woman's dark past becomes another's deadly future 

In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared.  

She'd been enjoying her teenage summer break: working at a fast-food restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen—blood in the bed, periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched—though Bec remained oblivious of what was to come. Eleven years later she is replaced. 

A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec.

Soon the imposter is living Bec's life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her mother and father. Learning her best friends' names. Playing with her twin brothers.

But Bec's welcoming family and enthusiastic friends are not quite as they seem. As the imposter dodges the detective investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real Bec Winter—and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large, and that she is in imminent danger.

Review: Girl Detached by Manuela Salvi

Aleksandra has issues with her voice. Stress makes her stutter, and her life is one of stress. She can only speak clearly on stage, freed by the words of the character she plays. Then, when Aleksandra befriends her new neighbour Megan, and through her meets charming, handsome Ruben, it seems she has discovered a doorway into a different world, and a different Alek. But Ruben wants Aleksandra to play a particular role for him, and it is one that will come close to destroying her.

Let me tell you this one was a little bit of a shocker, I didn't see it coming at all. I have now heard that in Italy, I believe, this book is now banned. It is very controversial and jaw dropping. At this point i usually tell you what this story is about, but I wanna be careful because I don't want to spoil the shock factor. This is the story of Aleksandra, she is a good girl, a quiet girl, she acts in a theatre because it is the only time she doesn't stutter. Aleksandra grew up with her Grandma, but when she passes away she finds herself at her estranged mothers home with a new stepdad and a new little brother. Aleksandra befriends the neighbour Megan, a girl pretty much the opposite of her. But Megan takes her in, introduces her to her friends and takes her to parties, that is where she meets the amazing Ruben. But all is not how it seems with her new friends and Ruben. Aleksandra is pulled into a completely different and shocking world, one that will change her and one that has the power to destroy her.

I know there is many things you will be imagining now about Megan, Ruben and this new world that Aleksandra has been pulled into. But I promise you, what really happens is not on your list. I was gobsmacked. It did take me a little to get into this book, but I am glad I did stick with it, it was soooo worth it. Once I realised what was going on my jaw has dropped. It took me by surprise and genuinely shocked me. But I couldn't put this down. It also opened my eyes and broke my heart. Because I know that all this is possible. Gosh I wanted to punch some of the characters so much.

I went through so many different emotions most of all when it comes to Aleksandra, I went from disliking her, to loving her, to wanting to shaker her and even to admire her. She develops so much through the story it was a pleasure to get to know her.

This story can really teach us something, esp young girls. Never change who you are for anyone and don't ever do anything you don't feel comfortable with.

This book will get you talking, it will make you swear and I can't say it enough but it will shock you. This was impossible to put down once I got into it and it will be impossible to forget.

Thank you to the lovely ladies at the Bucket List stand at YALC for my copy.

Girl Detached will be published on 15th September.

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #37

Weekly Wrap Up...

Now that i am back at work and back on the school runs I am also back to my 2 book weeks. To be fair if I can keep that up, that's pretty good going for me. The two books i have finished this week couldn't be any more different if I tried. Girl Detached by Manuela Salvi has been a bit of a shocker, not what i expected but it blew my mind. Very controversial. While Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi was very magical, young and fun.

Aleksandra has issues with her voice. Stress makes her stutter, and her life is one of stress. She can only speak clearly on stage, freed by the words of the character she plays. Then, when Aleksandra befriends her new neighbour Megan, and through her meets charming, handsome Ruben, it seems she has discovered a doorway into a different world, and a different Alek. But Ruben wants Aleksandra to play a particular role for him, and it is one that will come close to destroying her.

The bestselling author of the Shatter Me series takes readers beyond the limits of their imagination in this captivating new middle grade adventure where color is currency, adventure is inevitable, and friendship is found in the most unexpected places.

There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn't miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him. But it's been almost three years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she's about to embark on one to find the other.

But bringing Father home is no small matter. In order to find him she'll have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is a boy named Oliver whose own magical ability is based in lies and deceit--and with a liar by her side in a land where nothing is as it seems, it will take all of Alice's wits (and every limb she's got) to find Father and return home to Ferenwood in one piece. On her quest to find Father, Alice must first find herself--and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss.

Stacking the Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Oh what a good week its been for books. First of all i want to thank Cara at YA HQ for two of my new books. As I Descended by Robin Talley, which I am reading right now, and Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra. Always a pleasure reading one of your books.

My signed edition of Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas arrived, its so pretty. Although I have only so far read one of the books in this series, but I will get there eventually.

My next two books have been an utter surprise, even had to make some digging to find out where they came from. How exciting, I do love a surprise, esp when its in the form of a book. Thank you so much Bonnier Zaffre and Emily for those two beauties.

Another book that cam through the letter box is Invasion by Luke Rhinehart, another delivery from Lydia at Titan books. While this one isn't my usual thing I am totally intrigued, it sounds completely different to anything else I have read before.

And last but not least there is A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir, I am still struggling with the hangover from the first one and honestly cant wait to sink my teeth into this one. Wooooo, little treat for myself again.

Review: Moon Chosen by P.C. Cast

#1 New York Times bestselling author, P.C. Cast, brings us a new epic fantasy set in a world where humans, their animal allies, and the earth itself has been drastically changed. A world filled with beauty and danger and cruelty…

Mari is an Earth Walker, heir to the unique healing powers of her Clan; but she has cast her duties aside, until she is chosen by a special animal ally, altering her destiny forever. When a deadly attack tears her world apart, Mari reveals the strength of her powers and the forbidden secret of her dual nature as she embarks on a mission to save her people. It is not until Nik, the son of the leader from a rival, dominating clan strays across her path, that Mari experiences something she has never felt before…

Now, darkness is coming, and with it, a force, more terrible and destructive than the world has ever seen, leaving Mari to cast the shadows from the earth. By forming a tumultuous alliance with Nik, she must make herself ready. Ready to save her people. Ready to save herself and Nik. Ready to embrace her true destiny…and obliterate the forces that threaten to destroy them all.

I have read most of P.C. Cast's books and have always loved them all very much. You can imagine my excitement when I found this one on netgalley. Cast has once again come up with a totally unique and new world. Amazing. This is the story of Mari and Nik, both growing up in completely different worlds. Mari is an Earth Walker that shares a secret with her mother, the moon woman with healing powers. Mari is only half Earth Walker and nobody can know who her father really was, because he was a Companion. The Companions live high in the trees and are a very dominating clan, believing the Earth Walkers to be closer to animals then humans. In the Companions world it is very important that you are chosen by a Canine and Nik wants nothing more. When one goes missing Nik goes on a search to find him, in the hope that this was the Canine that would choose him as his Companion. What he doesn't expect is that he will find much more then he ever expected. Neither knows how much power they have to change everything.

I am seriously impressed. Just when you think authors cant possibly come up with any more new ideas someone like Cast comes along and blows your mind. Honestly the world building is unbelievable. I think that is why I love Cast, every book is completely different and surprising. Mari is beautiful in every way possible. She is pure and loving and she is an incredible heroin. I bloody love her. But let me tell you Nik isn't bad either, he is determined and good. When those two get together they become unstoppable.

I did however have a few issues. There is a third clan and for some time I don't even understand the point of them at all. Until you realise that really they are most likely just the build up for the next book. Which is fair enough, but the book is soooo long. And here lies my issue number two, its super long. Honestly for the first book in a series this is huuuuge. I am not one to shy away from a long book, honestly. But there was times where I thought: is this ever going to end? Not a good feeling.

BUT I still really liked this book, the world building alone is worth a read. Cast's writing experience comes out on every page and I enjoy her writing as much as I always have. The book eventually comes to a very satisfying end with a promise for a follow up. Which is great and I am certainly looking forward to it already.

P.C. Cast has once again created a unique, exciting and magical series that will surely be a massive hit.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy.

Moon Chosen will be published on 18th October.

Review: Children of Icarus by Caighlan Smith

It is Clara who is desperate to enter the labyrinth and it is Clara who is bright, strong, and fearless enough to take on any challenge. It is no surprise when she is chosen. But so is the girl who has always lived in her shadow. Together they enter. Within minutes, they are torn apart forever. Now the girl who has never left the city walls must fight to survive in a living nightmare, where one false turn with who to trust means a certain dead end."

Oh just look at this cover! Its amazing isn't it? And it's the reason I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn't happen. So we have a girl with a name we don't know who alongside her friend Clara is chosen to enter the labyrinth. Believing that if they find their way out of it, they will become angels. But what they find in the labyrinth is very far from angelic. Within the labyrinth the girl is taken in by  a group of other people who have been there surviving for some time. On arrival she gets caught up in a lie, one she cant seem to escape and could get her into even more trouble.

This was way to close to the Maze Runner for me, well I actually really liked that one, but i couldn't make friends with this one. I couldn't connect to the main character no matter how hard I tried and some parts I found almost uncomfortable to read. The concept of this story should be a hit, it sounded incredible and way up my street. There was just something that didn't work for me. While it was in a way, interesting enough to finish I cant say I enjoyed the ride.

I tell you what i really liked tho, the world the girl and Clara came from, so much more then the labyrinth. What a unique idea, I genuinely would have loved to read more about it.

I also felt that there was this huge build up all the way through the book, but a grand finale never came for me. More then anything it left me puzzled.

Great concept, superb idea but failed to deliver.

Thank you to Georgia and Curious Fox for my copy.

WWW Wednesday (7th September)

 WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I am currently reading...

Aleksandra has issues with her voice. Stress makes her stutter, and her life is one of stress. She can only speak clearly on stage, freed by the words of the character she plays. 

Then, when Aleksandra befriends her new neighbour Megan, and through her meets charming, handsome Ruben, it seems she has discovered a doorway into a different world, and a different Alek. But Ruben wants Aleksandra to play a particular role for him, and it is one that will come close to destroying her.

I have recently finished...

The bestselling author of the Shatter Me series takes readers beyond the limits of their imagination in this captivating new middle grade adventure where color is currency, adventure is inevitable, and friendship is found in the most unexpected places.There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn't miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him. But it's been almost three years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she's about to embark on one to find the other.

But bringing Father home is no small matter. In order to find him she'll have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is a boy named Oliver whose own magical ability is based in lies and deceit--and with a liar by her side in a land where nothing is as it seems, it will take all of Alice's wits (and every limb she's got) to find Father and return home to Ferenwood in one piece. On her quest to find Father, Alice must first find herself--and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss.

I plan on reading next...

Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.

Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.

But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.

But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.

From acclaimed author Robin Talley comes a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.