Review: The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

 

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

I really enjoyed Yoon's last book so I had really high hopes for this one. And I wasn't disappointed, quite the opposite I think this one is even better. It feels and reads completely different. This is the  story of Natasha and Daniel who meet while she is trying to find a way to stop her deportation and he is on the way to a college interview that he might not even want. This couldn't be a more inconvenient day to find that someone special. But bad timing can't stop fate, or can it?

This book is about fate and love. Its about how every little decision changes the course not just for you but for those around you too. It is so amazingly written I couldn't put it down. I instantly loved both Natasha and Daniel. I love how strongly he believes in true love while Natasha doesn't at all.

Beautiful and full of heart. It takes you on a trip round New York and touches on so many serious topics, in a way that wont just make you frown but will make you laugh too. Its full of hidden humour and moments that will make you smile and cry in equal measure.

The characters are so amazing I don't even know where to begin. They couldn't be more different even if they tried, and I don't mean their backgrounds. Natasha who is an absolute science geek that believes only in the things that she can prove. And then Daniel who is a poet and a hopeless romantic. They are both charming and intriguing in their own way. And I enjoyed every single one of their conversations.

I cant tell you enough how much I have enjoyed this. The story is just pure bliss and an absolute gem. Oh my poor little heart.

Honestly this book is STUNNING!!! You do not want to miss this one.

Thank you for Penguin Random House and Netgalley for my copy.

The Sun Is Also A Star will be published 3rd November.

WWW Wednesday (12th October)

 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...

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.

I have recently finished...

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.

I plan on reading next...

A remarkable story about love and death from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

Eleven-year-old Mouse is travelling to see his grandparents on Christmas Eve with his mother and two sisters. But it's snowing, and visibility is bad, and the car goes off the road, and crashes.

Mouse is thrown from the car.

When he wakes, he's not in his world any more. He meets a sheep named Bar, who can only say Baaa, and a sarcastic horse named Nonky, who is a surprising mix of his beloved toy horse and his older sister.
So begins a quest to find a castle in a world of wonder - a world of monsters, minstrels, dangerous knights and mysterious wizards; a world of terrifying danger but also more excitement than Mouse has ever known.

But why are they looking for a castle? As the cold grows, we realise it might just have something to do with the family he's left behind; and that Mouse's quest is more important than ever.

This is a novel about love and death. It's about the power of stories to change the way we view the world - and it's about the power of a child to change their own world. Emotionally arresting but ultimately uplifting, this is a remarkable novel for our times.

Review: A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir

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. 

Oh my gosh!! Where do I even begin?? This has probably been my favourite book of 2016. I could not put it down. I am one of those people who was really late with reading An Ember in the Ashes, so Elias, Laia and Helene have been very fresh in my mind. Not just that but as soon as I started reading I realised how much I already missed this characters and how amazing they all are. 

The second book takes off exactly where the first one left off. Elias and Laia are on the run after Marcus becomes the new Emporer and Helene the Blood Shreik. Bam we are straight in the middle of all the action and I felt like I have never left this world. Elias' and Laia's main focus now is to get to Kauf prison and get her brother out. On the journey they will face many obstacles. Every freaking chapter has been exciting. Honestly, this book doesn't slow down. Not for a moment. It switches from Elias, Laia and Helene and is so fast paced. Every time I thought it's time to put the book down something else happened that forced me to continue, just one more chapter, and another, and one more maybe... thank for for FIFA coming out this week, the hubby at least didn't need any attention. Either way he wasn't gonna get any. 

This books was so much fun to read, I don't think I have enjoyed reading this much for some time. There was new surprises on every corner. It literally broke me. From moments that melted my heart to jaw dropping shockers that made me wanna scream. This is one hell of a ride. 

I have loved the first book but this one I love even more. The writing is incredible and the world building is another class. I feel like we have gotten much more then just one story. Three paths that took us to an incredible ending. 

The development of the characters is immense. We start off with Elias, Laia and Helene as we know them and let me tell you we finish this one with 3 very different individuals. 

This was impossible to put down. Even when I had to I couldn't stop thinking about it, itching to get back to it. I had this book in my hand before I even got a foot out of my bed.

My favourite book of 2016, I have loved every page and every minute. This is one I would already love to read again. 

Well done! No sign of any 2nd book syndrome. Instead the bar has been lifted once more. I can not wait to see what happens in the next one. 

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #41

Weekly Wrap Up...

I've tried, I really have but I have only managed to read one this week. Slightly disappointed but it's been another busy week. I have 2 more weeks to go at this pace, then a week off, one more busy one and then I will finally be back to my normal working hours. Let's hope I'll find it easier sticking to my 2 book weeks. So the book I have finished this week is The Sun Is Also A Star and it was a rather special one for sure. 

 

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

Stacking the Shelves... 

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

It's been another fantastic week for my Shelf. I've had surprise book post from twenty7 and Zaffre. Thank you so much for my copy of Saving Phoebe Murrow and Christmas at the Lilac Cottage. Also omg!! How is it time for Christmas books already?? I am not prepared yet! Ha ha.

I have bought two kindle books in the kindle sale this week too. Who can resist a good 99p book?? So I've got Vicious and The Casquette Girls. What a bargain and what absolute little gems. 

A cheeky little Amazon delivery came too, not all for me I am afraid tho. However The Invasion of the Tearling is ALL mine. But I am very much looking forward to reading George's Marvellous Medicine and My Mum's Going To Explode with my daughter.

 

 

 

 

 

WWW Wednesday (5th October)

 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...

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.

I have recently finished...

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

I plan on reading next...

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.

Review: The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

 

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.
The Girl with All the Gifts is a sensational thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Justin Cronin, and Neil Gaiman. 

So this is rather out of my compfort zone. But I saw the movie trailer and I just knew I needed to read this book before I can watch this movie. While I like stuff like the walking dead I haven't really read anything zombie related. So I wasn't sure what to expect. 

This book is about Melanie, a girl who can't remember a life before her cell. She doesn't know how she got there or why she is there. But most of all she doesn't know what she is. But almost every day she gets dressed, has to sit down in her chair while armed men strap her to it, then she is wheeled into a class room. The class room is filled with other children in the same position as her. In their classroom Melanie has a favourite teacher and Melanie knows that this teacher is also the only one that truly cares about those kids. One day just as a doctor is about to cut into Melanie's brain, the barracks is being attacked. There is monsters everywhere. Melanie not only finds her teacher but saves her life and together they get picked up by the doctor and two soldiers. Those soldiers are scared of Melanie and soon Melanie will discover that she is the same as those monsters out there. The same but somehow different...

If you ever enjoyed the walking dead you will like this. It's probably even better, beacause the story is actually going somewhere. This isn't a mindless gore kind of book. The POV changes between Melanie, the teacher, the soldiers and the doctor, which makes this even more interesting. 

The characters are all very interesting and so so different. Each dealing with their own issues while they have been thrown together and are each other's only chance of survival. 

I really enjoyed this book and it made me even more excited for the movie. This is a really well thought out story that leads to a very satisfying end. I haven't connected to one character more then the others because they are all complicated in their own way. But if I had to choose it would have to be Melanie. She is strong enough to fight her own nature so to not hurt the people she cares about. 

Full of blood, death, suspense and surprises. You certainly will never guess the end. This book had me on the edge of my seat many times. 

Weather this is your usual genre or not I think you will enjoy this either way. It held my attention all the way through and really made me think. I found myself picking this up when ever I could and putting it down only if I really had to. While this may not be the best book I have read it's one I won't forget in a hurry. I already have the authors next book on my shelf and I can't wait to read it. 

Thank you to Orbit Publishing for my copy. You can pick up your own copy and watch the movie adaptations in the cinema right now.

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #40

Weekly Wrap Up...

So up until yesterday I readily thought this was going to be a one book week. We continue to be so busy I barely have time to sit down and read. However I couldn't put my book down and managed to finish it this morning. So once again it's a two book week for me. The first was The Girl With All The Gifts and let me tell you this was rather out of my comfort zone. But I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The book I just finished this morning was A Torch Against The Night and OMG this might be my book of the year. I bloody loved it!! 

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.

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.

Stacking The Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

I've had some more surprise post this week and it's always an amazing feeling. First of all thank you to Corvus for The Last Night. It's maybe not something I would chose for myself but I will certainly give it a try. 

Then I have to, yet again say a massive thanks to Lauren at Hachette Children for some more lovely surprises. Silance is Goldfish and Haunt Me both sound amazing. But while I am really happy about those I am sad to see Lauren leave Hachette. 

I have also had some books arrive of Amazon. Crooked Kingdom and Carry On, those two have now completely my collection for the Worlds Collide event with the two authors, that I will be attending this month. Very excited about this.