Book Review - Passenger By Alexandra Bracken

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Release Date: 5 January 2016

Pages: 496

Summary: Passenger follows a violin prodigy, Etta Spencer. One night she loses everything she loves and is thrust into an unfamiliar world. Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles, but years from home. And she's inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she's never heard of. Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods-a powerful family in the Colonies-and the servitude he's known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can't escape and the family that won't let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, his passenger, can find. In order to protect her, Nick must ensure she brings it back to them-whether she wants to or not. Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods' grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home forever. 

My Thoughts: I loved this book so much! Passenger is the first book I've read by Alex Bracken and I really enjoyed her writing. At the start of this book I found it quite slow to pick up the pace, but that said, it was still really interesting.

Etta is a great female character! She's really independent and strong and I loved that Alex Bracken gave her a unique hobby in playing the violin because that gave her strength throughout the book. I also really liked Nicholas, his perspective was always really well done and very different from Etta's.

The plot was brilliant and I've never read a book with time travel in it before. The "magic" system, if that's what you call it, was quite complicated and at the start I didn't really get how they were able to travel through time but as the book progressed I got a much better understanding of it.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to you guys. It's very different and an intriguing topic and it was written very well. I'm so excited for the next one to come out, Wayfarer!! 

Tell me if you've read this or if you plan to!

Book Review - The Glittering Court By Richelle Mead

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: 5 April 2016

Pages: 416

Summary: As a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is made to transform poor girls into upper-class ladies capable of arranging wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally does very well in her training and even manages to make a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. Throughout The Glittering Court Adelaide is able to keep her true identity hidden from everyone except for Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy business man of the Glittering Court. When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together, they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide's deception. Complications soon arise - first, as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and later, when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor. But none proven quite as daunting as the attraction between Adelaide and Cedric, which would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts.

My thoughts: I quite enjoyed The Glittering Court. This is the first book I've read by Richelle Mead so I've nothing to really compare it with but it was highly enjoyable. The synopsis is very intriguing and I just picked this up on a whim. I thought her writing was very well done and her characters have a very authentic feel to them.

Adelaide was a good main character although she definitely wasn't my favourite, or even close to it. She was kind of snobby at the start so that threw me off because that is one of the traits I hate most in characters! It didn't take long though for that to be drawn out of her and for her to come to her senses and assess her situation. However, I do have to say that I would have loved if she was a bit more badass! 

Cedric was a great character. He was very loving and you could tell he would do anything for Adelaide. Tamsin was probably my favourite! She was a very feisty and determined girl and I would have loved the story from her perspective too. Mira was also very interesting. She was mysterious and quiet but there was a whole sub-plot going on there in the background that still needs to be explored in the second book in the series.

The Glittering Court itself was thought out brilliantly but I did think that the way time was pasting was a bit confusing. For example, after I finished one chapter I could move onto the next only to find out it skipped to months later! It just really annoyed me but it didn't take from the book much.

Overall the plot and characters were great and I loved the ending. It seems to tie most of the ends together so I'm kind of wondering what Richelle Mead could possibly make book two out of but we'll have to wait and see! If you're interested in fantasy/historical books I'd give this a go but I wouldn't be rushing to it if you have others you can read. I give it a high rating because it was a very interesting premise but it didn't make me feel much to be honest.  

Any thoughts you'd like to share? I'd love to hear your opinions on this one!

Book Review - The Crown By Kiera Cass

The Crown by Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Release Date: 19 May 2016

Pages: 352

Summary: The Selection continues in The Crown and Eadlyn doesn't think she can find a real partner among the Selection's thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes your heart can surprise you and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult - and more important - than she ever expected.

My Thoughts: The Crown was a major step up from The Heir. I went into it thinking that I just wanted to get it over with but I ended up loving it. The whole charm of the story was back and it flowed so much better than the previous book. Kiera Cass' writing is so engrossing and I'm glad that came through in The Crown. I was hoping she would make up for The Heir in the finale of the series and she really did!

Eadlyn also became much more likable which was unexpected. I think there was a point at the end of The Heir that just shocked her back into reality. She turned into an understanding and more open character and her development was lovely to see. I also think she came to understand herself more too over the course of this book. Overall I really did come to like her and enjoy her personality in The Crown.

I also want to bring up America and Maxon like I did in my review for The Heir. Yes, I thought that America's personality came into play at times in The Crown but still not enough. The old connection was definitely not there and rarely I got that 'spark' from her that was always there in the first three novels. As I said before, just because she became a bit of a minor character in the last two books it was no reason to cast aside her entire self. Same with Maxon, there was barely any clue that he was the same person as in the original Selection. I was still relatively satisfied with the occasional conversation or joke that passed between the two characters but I feel as if their voices got lost along the way.

I also think Eadlyn's relationship with the boys improved. As she became more open to dates and getting to know the Selected it gave me a better insight to the personalities of the individuals. It was hard to kind of pick one of them who might have been the winner of the Selection and I was constantly switching over who it could be! I loved all the boys in the Elite and the ending was so brilliantly done and tied up.

All I'd love now is another novella book maybe talking about their future, their kids and maybe, like the other novella bind-up, a 'Where Are They Now?' section for the boys as it would be great to know how they got on after the Selection!!

I'm very happy with how the final book in the series turned out. I'd definitely say power through The Heir and read The Crown because it's worth it! You won't regret finding out who will be part of Eadlyn's future! It really was a happily ever after kind of moment!!

Any thought you would like to share on the overall series? I'd love to hear your opinions!!

Book Review - The Heir By Kiera Cass

The Heir by Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Release Date: 07 May 2015

Pages: 400

Summary: The Heir is set eighteen years after America and Maxon's Selection. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn't expect her Selection to be anything like her parents' fairy-tale love story, but as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought. 

My Thoughts: I was so disappointed in this book. The charm in Kiera Cass' writing from the original Selection wasn't there at all and it was a really slow read. There was no plot too and I really missed everything about the rebels in the original first three books. I also don't like the way this Selection comes from a perspective inside the palace. 

I went into The Heir hoping that I'd get more from America and Maxon as their characters were always so special. Again, I was so disappointed to find that there was no consistency and their personalities completely disappeared! I feel like Kiera Cass made America seem like a bland, obedient wife and it was one of the things that ruined the novel for me. Her whole fiesty, determined personality didn't show through at all and I definitely didn't feel the same connection to her. Even though she was a minor character, it was no reason for Kiera to lay aside everything that made her character unique and she was no way the role model she was in the first Selection. I was also unsatisfied with how little we got to see of them.

Putting that aside, the main thing that frustrated me was Eadlyn. She was just a spoiled brat and I was constantly reminded of this throughout the book. If she was supposed to come across as a strong, determined female character that did not work at all. You could kind of tell that she was good deep down inside but that very rarely came across. She always said or did the wrong thing and her whole "no one is as powerful as me" slogan just put me off from the word go. It's important that books have a character that you can root for and in The Heir, there definitely was none.

I had no connection to any of the Selected guys and most of them didn't get any time to show off their personalities. Eadlyn was not romantically inclined at all so a lot of the time her dates and conversations with the boys just came across as awkward and fake.

This book was a major disappointment. There was nothing I loved, let allowed liked, in it and it was so plain that I just skimmed the last couple chapters. I am going to finish the series just to get it over with but I've absolutely no hope in it which makes me really sad.

I'd say that you should just read the first three books in The Selection along with the novellas and stop there as this just ruined everything good about the series. America and Maxon seem like completely different characters and they were always my main love in the books. Probably my first and most heartbreaking 1 star rating ever!!!

Book Review - Happily Ever After By Kiera Cass

Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Release Date: 13 October 2015

Pages: 320

Summary: Happily Ever After is a romantic collection of four Selection novellas - The Prince, The Guard, The Queen and The Favorite. It also includes exclusive content such as art for each of the novellas, a new intro for each of the novellas and 3 brand new scenes from each of the first 3 novels.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this novel. It was a light read and it was just as enjoyable as the first three books. The map on the end papers was so beautiful as well as the drawings throughout the novellas.

I ordered this bind-up straight away after I finished The One because I couldn't get enough of the characters! Each novella let the reader get to know the specific character better and it was very interesting to read some of the scenes from the original Selection in different perspectives.

I loved all the novellas but I thought The Guard was drawn out a little bit too long. The scenes from Celeste were probably my favourite part as I loved reading about her character development. The 'Where Are They Now?' section wasn't particularly well written but it did tie up what happened to characters such as Natalie, Kriss and Elise after The One.

Overall I highly enjoyed reading this novella bind-up. I'm not a huge fan of novellas but these were a brilliant addition to the series. It's definitely a must read if you've read The Selection and loved the characters as much as I did!

If you've read The Selection, are you planning to read the novellas too? It's worth your while!

  

Book Review - Made You Up By Francesca Zappia

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc

Release Date: 18 June 2015

Pages: 448

Summary: Made You Up is the story of Alex, a high school senior who is unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. Alex fights a daily battle to figure out what's real and what isn't. She wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She's pretty optimistic about her chances until she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She's not prepared for normal. Can she trust herself? Can we trust her?

My Thoughts: I honestly thought this book was spectacular. It was written so well and it often left you questioning what was real and what was a hallucination. This really added to the experience of reading the novel and overall if was just so fascinating and really made you think.

Alex was such a brilliant main character and she was so strong considering everything she had to dealt with in her everyday life. Her struggle felt so real and it was so easy to connect with her. I really liked her on the whole too, her personality was great and she was quite funny at times too!

Her relationship with Miles was lovely and it just developed slowly over the course of the book. The rest of the characters also made the book a great deal more interesting and added to the realness of the story.

There was also a kind of strange plot going on in the background and it really created more suspense to the novel. Again, the fact that you didn't know if Alex was reliable or not on what she sees make it so complicated but wonderful at the same time.

Made You Up is one of the best books I've read this year. It was amazing and it made me feel furious, upset and happy all at the same time! This is a must read for you guys.

Have any of you already read this book? Tell me what you thought in the comments!

Book Review - An Ember In The Ashes By Sabaa Tahir

An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: 26 October 2015

Pages: 464

Summary: An Ember In The Ashes tells the story of Laia who is a slave and Elias who is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, disobediance is met with death. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family lives in the Empire's impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire because 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 may change the fate of the Empire itself.

My Thoughts: I love, love, loved this book! I've been on such a roll lately with reading great books and yet again this is another new found favourite. Sabaa Tahir is an amazing writer and everything from the setting to the character development was absolute perfection. I felt as if the story was playing out right before my eyes and even the little details were thought out so well.

I will admit, I didn't like Laia at the beginning. She was very cowardly and lost but as the novel progressed she turned into this strong, really determined heroine. Elias was also a great character. He was caught up in what seemed like an entirely different world but I really admired his strength of character. The slightly minor characters added to the book too and the likes of Cook and Izzi were some of my favourites.     

An Ember In The Ashes alternated chapters between Elias and Laia and this built up the plot so well. For the first part of the novel they were in separate places and didn't know the other existed but you could see the constant build up to something big. I loved reading from both perspectives and seeing how each character thought was brilliant.

I highly recommend this book to you guys. It's a really unique and interesting fantasy with a great cast of characters. I can't wait to get my hands on book two, A Torch Against The Night, at the end of August!!

Do you have any thoughts on this novel?