Review: Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

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 am a huge fan of Tahereh Mafi and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. If you expect exactly the same kind of book that she has written before you will be disappointed. This one is much younger but it is also so much more colourful.

Furthermore is fantasy book at its best in every way. This is the story of Alice, she is a 12 year old girl who lacks colour. She lives in a world far beyond anyone's imagination with her mother and her two twinbrothers. Her father has disappeared without a trace and she misses him every second of everyday, not fitting in with any one else in her family. On her 12th birthday she is to show of her talent in a display that is not only graded but also results in receiving a task they must full fill. But while everyone shows of their magical ability, things don't go so well for Alice. With no other choice left, Alice finds herself helping Oliver to fullfill his task, only in the hope to find someone who  has been lost for a long time. Together they enter the crazy, magical and utterly fascinating world of Furthermore. But be careful, because Furthermore has many rules and you can not brake any of them.

This book is adorable. What amazing world building, we get not only one world but two. The writing is superb and so so colourful. I have had so much fun reading it. While I am probably to old for this book, it is perfect for younger readers. Alice and Oliver couldn't be more different and I love them both. Alice is funny and confident, she makes for a perfect main character. Her honesty is admiring and so is her view of everything around her. While Oliver came across a little rude sometimes, he sort of grew on me with time.

I cant get enough of the way Tahereh describes things, its as if she has painted us a picture, a beautiful vivid picture full of colour. I was drawn into the world of Furtermore from the first page and I didn't want to leave it. Every corner of this world has been surprising and imaginative, while rather dark and dangerous.

Tahareh has proven to me that after her success with Shatter Me she has so much more to give and I am now an even bigger fan then before. Incredible.

Also worth mentioning that this has been one of the most beautiful covers i have seen this year, I may have slightly fallen in love at first sight.

Furthermore has been released 2n September.

Thank you so much to Sophia at Puffin for my copy.

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #36

Weekly Wrap Up...

Oh it feels great to be able to write my wrap up on the laptop again, sorry once more for my very short posts in the past few weeks. I just couldn't get them done while i was in Turkey, Germany and Poland. But I am back now and so are my normal posts. This week I have managed to read 3 books and its the first time in ages that I have managed to binge read a whole series, I have forgotten how much fun that was. I have managed to read all three books of the DIMILY Series by Estelle Maskeme. Did I mention I love you, Did I mention I need you and Did I mention I miss you. So happy I have managed to pick these up and I cant wait to write my review for these.

Stacking the Shelves...

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Coming back from Germany I have had two books waiting for me the first one being A Head Full of Ghosts by Tremblay and i seriously love a bit of a good scary book. So thank you Lydia at Titan Books for my copy, very much appreciated. The second book is Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi, I have really loved her previous books so much and I am reading this one currently, thank you so much Sophia at Puffin for my copy.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for my copy of The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon, really excited to read this after an amazing first book.

I have also bought a book while in Germany, I don't like reading in German anymore but I needed this beauty on my shelves. The German edition of Rebels of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton is just stunning.

But the most special book post this week was Try Not To Breath by Holly Seddon, not only was it a signed gift by the author but I am actually quoted in this inside the book. This is the first time this has happened and I am so so happy. This is truly amazing. Thank you Holly.

Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Laia is a slave. 

Elias is a soldier. 

Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

This is why I bloody love this genre so much,  books like this one!! I have fallen in love with it from the very first page. I knew straight away that I had a special book in my hands. While I am totally late to the party, I am rather glad that I don't have to wait long for the next one. 

This is almost like a Romeo and Juliette story in a way, Laia and Elias couldn't be more different. Laia looses her family, either murdered or locked up. To save her brother she asks for the help of the rebellion. They send her on a mission into the greatest military academy, where she is to be the slave of the leader. Elias is about to graduate this academy and about to become exactly the same as the person that has murdered her family. They should be enemies, however they find themselves drawn to each other instead. What neither of them knows is that every choice they make could have a massive impact on the Empire itself. Will they make the right one? 

This book is AWESOME, in every single way. I have loved the characters and the whole forbidden love thing. I couldn't put it down, i didn't want to. And while I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, at the same time I never wanted it to finish. This book makes me so glad so many in this genre are series instead of stand alone's, because I want to stay with this world and its characters for a long time still. 

Beside amazing main characters there is many more I love to. This story has a villain that literally made my blood boil over. Brutal, disgusting and hateful. But it made for some very powerful reading. The rebels have some interesting characters too and its really hard to say who we can trust and who we cant. But another favorite character is Helene. She is BADASS, I love her. She is fierce, loyal and the person you need on your side. 

This book is full of everything I love about a good book and more. A new favorite. I don't think there is that many people who haven't read this yet, but if you haven't then what are you waiting for? This is the one you shouldn't miss. I am now waiting for my preorder of A Torch Against the Night to arrive and I am seriously so excited. 

WWW Wednesday (31st August)

 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.. 

Eden’s on her way back to Santa Monica for the summer, and she hasn't seen Tyler since the devastating fallout of their forbidden relationship. Eden claims to have moved on—but Tyler wants to rekindle the flame.

He convinces Eden to visit his new home in Portland, Oregon, where he has set up a center for troubled teens. Eden’s proud of what he’s built, but the last time they were together, it nearly destroyed Eden and their family. Then a tragedy draws them together, and Eden must search her heart and decide if Tyler is worth the risk once and for all.

I have recently finished...

It's been a year since eighteen-year-old Eden Munro last saw Tyler Bruce: her stepbrother…and her secret love. Although they called time on their forbidden relationship for the sake of their family, Eden can't help but feel excited when Tyler invites her to join him in New York City for the summer. 

Anyway, Eden is happy with her boyfriend Dean, and surely Tyler has moved on too. But as they spend a long, hot summer in the excitement of the city that never sleeps, it soon becomes obvious that they aren’t over each other. But can they resist temptation?

In Did I Mention I Need You?, the second volume of Estelle Maskame’s phenomenal DIMILY trilogy, Tyler and Eden must face up to their feelings and decide what to do next. Is their love strong enough to face the challenges that lie ahead?

I plan on reading next... 

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. 

Review: The Deviants by C.J. Skuse

Growing up in the sleepy English seaside town of Brynston, the fearless five – Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane – were always inseparable. Living up to their nickname, they were the adventurous, rowdy kids who lived for ghost stories and exploring the nearby islands off the coast. But when Max’s beloved older sister Jessica is killed, the friendship seems to die with her.

Now years later, only Max and Ella are in touch; still best friends and a couple since they were thirteen. Their lives are so intertwined Max’s dad even sponsors Ella’s training for the Commonwealth Games. But Ella is hiding things. Like why she hates going to Max’s house for Sunday dinner, and flinches whenever his family are near. Or the real reason she’s afraid to take their relationship to the next level.

When underdog Corey is bullied, the fearless five are brought back together again, teaming up to wreak havoc and revenge on those who have wronged them. But when the secrets they are keeping can no longer be kept quiet, will their fearlessness be enough to save them from themselves?

This book made me cry, a lot. And I am not normally a blubbering mess when I read a book. But this one broke me. The Deviants is a book I first notice at the YALC. People talked about it everywhere and even sat around reading it. Now I know why. 

This is the story of Ella and her group of friends. Once a very close gang of friends, years later some barely speak to one another at all. However Ella and Max have remained a couple since they was kids. But while most people take their relationship to the next level Ella cant bring herself getting closer to her boyfriend. Everytime she tries it ends in a disaster and a very upset Ella. Due to some unfortunate events some of the old gang teams up again. But once they are all together again their secrets seem to be so much harder to keep, What are they hiding? What happened to their friendship in the past?

I freaking loved this book. It was impossible to put down, I couldnt wait to discover their secrets and I have literally fallen in love with the characters. Every single one of them. What an amaying bunch of characters, every single one of them was so different and interesting. I wanted to be friends with them all. 

But the story itself is even better. I was hooked from the start and it kept me captivated all the way through. I can't even explain how incredibly well this has been written and planned. The story taking you deeper and deeper into something you didnt see coming at all. And thats another incredible thing, no matter how hard I tried to figure out what was happening, I  didn't stand a chance. The end took me by surprise and destroyed me emotionally. I wasnt prepared for that. 

Once in a while a very special book comes along and surprises you, brakes you and stays with you for a very long time, the Deviants is that kind of book.

I can't praise this enough and wether you like YA or not is completely irrelevant in this case. 

Emotional, unpredictable and completely unforgettable. 

Thank you to Young Adult HQ for my copy.

The Deviants will be released 22nd September and you can't miss this one. 

Review: The Girl Who Cried Wolf by Bella James

A growing up story with a difference, and a startling debut, The Girl Who Cried Wolf shows the tumultuous transition from teenager to young woman and is a story about believing in something, whether love, faith or simply yourself. 

Anna Winters is beautiful, reckless and entirely self-absorbed. She spends more time thinking up reasons to call in sick to school than she does studying for her A levels. She shies away from her family, from responsibility – from anything in fact that doesn’t involve peach cider and endless parties with her friend Jules.

Anna assumes that her headaches are an inconvenient symptom of her wild lifestyle, until a doctor tells her that she has cancer…

As a terrifying black cloud descends upon her, Anna finds solace in Michael, another patient in the oncology ward. Michael shows Anna a chink of light in the darkness and sees beauty behind her illness and loves her sassy wit. He makes Anna forget she is ill.

Michael recovers; but Anna’s prospects worsen. And in emergency surgery, as she hovers between life and death, she is given a stark glimpse of why her life is so broken, and as she realises the simple fulfillment of being truly content, fears it may now be too late…

I really wanted to love this book. From the blurb I fully expected this to break me and read like the fault in our stars, but that didnt happen for me. While the raw story is a good one and should break your heart, in truth I failed to really connect with this story and its characters. 

This is the story of Anna, who is a reallz angry girl, always missing school and coming up with planty of reasons. Instead she much rather gets drunk and shies away from any responsibilty. She never really worried about her headaches, thinking those could be the result of hangovers and lack of sleep. But when she is forced to have a medical check up she gets the worsed possible news, its cancer. During the hospital stay she falls for a boy in recovery. 

I am just really unsure if I liked Anna or not. She is always so angry. even when she is faced with something good and happy she still moans and turns it into a negative. And while i unserstand she is going through the most horrible time in her life I failed to see her progress in her behaviour. 

I enjoyed the story of her family. The struggle her mother went through was heartbreaking. Anna's sister was a favourite of mine. But it didnt save the story for me. 

What disspointed me the most was that even the story between Anna and Michael wasnt very heartwarming. He felt almost like an afterthought to the story and I literally failed to see the moment when they fell in love. He was just suddenly there. 

If I could have emotionally attach myself to the characters and the story this would have been wonderful. Instead it felt like a list of events, time passing to fast and switching from one big event to another. 

Honestly I am gutted. I did manage to finish this book, which means I honesty didnt hate it but I didnt love it. Such a shame too. 

Its worth noting the copy I have received wasnt the final edit and that maybe some things will come accross in a slightly better light once its finished. 

Thank you to Accent Press for my copy of this book.

The Girl who cried Wolf will be out 15th September. 

Weekly Wrap Up and Stacking the Shelves #35

Weekly wrap up...

This week I have managed to finish 2 books and one audiobook, which has been a very new experience for me. I have finished Moon Chosen by P.C. Cast which has been really looooong and also Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, which I have wanted to read for some time. My first ever audiobook was This Shattered World (Starbound #2) by Amy Kayfman and Meagan Spooner, I have read the first book last year sometime and really enjoyed it. However I am not sure about the audiobook experience.

Stacking the shelves...

I have been told there is 2 book parcels waiting for me at home and I can't wait to open them when I get there. Although I can guess what it is I will show you when I actually hold the books in my hands. 

(This is hopefully the last time my post are rather bare. I will be home on Tuesday and back at my laptop)