Book Review #798 - Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha #1) by Tomi Adeyemi

They killed my mother.

They took our magic.

They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

My Rating: 3.5/5

This is a book that had been on my radar for a long time but the mixed reviews I'd heard put me off from ever picking it up. The only reason I even read it now was because it was chosen for my book club.

This book was written by a Nigerian author and is rooted in African folklore which is something I have never encountered before so I loved that unique element.

I did for the most part really enjoy this book, that was until the romance was introduced about 80% into the story.

The romance, for me, was extremely unnecessary. There was no build up to it at all and suddenly they are all claiming they are in love. I didn't buy it.

Book Review #782 - Stuart Little by E.B. White

Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George and Snowball the cat. He's an adventurous and heroic little mouse. When his best friend, a beautiful little bird called Margalo disappears from her nest, Stuart is determined to track her down. He ventures away from home for the very first time in his life and finds himself embroiled in one exciting adventure after another, making new friends and meeting old ones along the way.

My Rating: 2.5/5

I read this book for the 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge to read a book made into a movie you have already seen.

I grew up watching the film adaptation of this book although I have not seen it recently.

This book was more about Stuart's life as a mouse in New York rather than the strong family connections he has that the film focuses on.

I was really disappointed by the ending as I felt like it just stopped mid-story. There was no real resolution.

Book Review #780 - The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection -- he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?

My Rating: 2/5

This is my third E.B. White children's book that I have read and definitely my least favourite of the three. The other two are obviously also more well known being Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.

Firstly, this book was published in 1970 and has not aged as well as his other books. Whilst none of his stories told through animal protagonists are realistic in any way this book went way too far in making anything plausible. 

Louis as a protagonist was something I loved. He was always the underdog in every situation and you couldn't help but hope he achieved everything he wanted.

Book Review #775 - The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

How do you stop a murder that’s already happened?

At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed--again. She's been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden's only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle's murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend--but nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a highly original debut that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Agatha Christie.

My Rating: 4/5

I am not the biggest crime fiction reader especially when it comes to adult crime fiction.

I saw this book in an airport bookstore and the title and synopsis intrigued me so I borrowed it from my local library when I returned home.

Firstly, this book is wholly unique. I can guarantee I have not read any book anything like it before and being written by a debut author makes this even more amazing.

The writing style was rather basic but considering the complexity of the plot as the book progresses this was most definitely a positive thing.

Book Review #749 - Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume 1 (Twilight: The Graphic Novel #1) by Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret... 

My Rating: 3/5

I read this book for the Popsugar 2018 Reading Challenge for the prompt of reading a Goodreads winner and this was the only book I had on my TBR that fit that description.

I used to love Twilight back in the day but have recently discovered that I am just unable to re-read it anymore so returning to the story in a graphic novel format was ideal for me.

I loved how the story was condensed and made lighter and the artwork throughout was amazing and really brought the characters and story to life.

Book Review #748 - Bone Key (Supernatural #3) by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Twenty-two years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. In the years after, their father, John, taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America . . . and he taught them how to kill it.

Sam and Dean are headed for Key West, Florida, home to Hemingway, hurricanes, and a whole lot of demons. The tropical town has so many ghouls on the loose that one of its main moneymakers has long been a series of ghost tours. But the tours are no more, not since one of the guides was found dead of an apparent heart attack . . . his face frozen in mid-scream. No one knows what horrors he saw, but the Winchester brothers are about to find out.

Soon they'll be face-to-face with the ghosts of the island's most infamous residents, demons with a hidden agenda, and a mysterious ancient power looking for revenge. It's up to Sam and Dean to save the citizens of Key West . . . before the beautiful island is reduced to nothing more than a pile of bones.

My Rating: 3/5

This book is set in mid-season 3 right in the middle of the Sam/Ruby storyline as well as Dean's quest to get out of his deal with the crossroads demon. Both of these storylines are mentioned heavily throughout the book.

The characterizations of Sam and Dean is always the main issue I have with these Supernatural books, and this one was no different. First of all there was mentioned of the boys smelling on more than one occasion which I thought was weird, especially as it wasn't done in the humorous way like it likely would have been had this issue ever been raised on the show.

Secondly, Dean was portrayed as a sleazy manwhore and it had none of the humor or lightheartedness the show uses when approaching this side to Dean. I could go on but these were the main two I had issues with.

There were so many secondary characters in this book, more so than you would see in any episode of Supernatural and this unfortunately takes time away from Sam and Dean which I have found is a common problem with these books.

Book Review #745 - Soundless by Richelle Mead

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. 

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

My Rating: 3/5

This book sounded so unique and of course being written by Richelle Mead I had to give it a go.

This book was set in China which I thought would have been an element I would enjoy as I don't think I have read many, if any books set there. However, I found that apart from the characters names the book could have been set literally anywhere in the world. There was no Chinese culture elements at all which was disappointing.

I liked the relationship between the protagonist and her sister although it felt like an overdone trope in YA literature where the protagonist has to save a sibling.

The main issue I had with this book was the lack of world building. I feel like Mead is used to writing long series and so is able to take her time with world building and so in this book it just never developed enough.

I did enjoy what little world building there was and I feel like this book had the potential outline to make a decent trilogy where things could have been built upon and not rushed. The amount of development needed to make a coherent story was too ambitious to fit into one small book.

Book Review - Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead

I wasn't free of my past, not yet.

Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiences in question, her future is on the line.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

My Rating: 3.5/5

I read this book back in 2011 but I decided to read it again because I recently re-read the entire Vampire Academy series and thought it was the perfect time to finish the Bloodlines series as back in 2011 I never read past this first book. My original review of the book can be found here. 

First of all I loved how Vampire Academy seems to be aging well. I found I loved the series just as much as I did when I first read it before I even started this blog.

Whilst I wasn't quite convinced at first at having the alchemist Sydney as the narrator, there were enough familiar characters from Vampire Academy (like Jill, Eddie and of course Adrian) to keep me reading until I started to warm up to her.

I'm still not Sydney's biggest fan. I find her rather stuck up but I do like a having a human perspective in this world of unique vampires.

For the most part I found the school drama a little boring and this was largely due to the fact we were seeing all this through Sydney's mature eyes.

I loved the greater insight we got into the strigois as most strigoi activity is told via third person however Sydney witnesses a moroi attempt to become strigoi which was something that was hinted at in Vampire Academy but never in the great detail it was in this book.

Overall, whilst I don't think this series is going to be anywhere near the quality of Vampire Academy, I am really excited to be back in this world.

Book Review #737 - Raising Demons (Hex Hall 2) by Rachel Hawkins

Sophie Mercer's first term at Hex Hall turned out to be quite eventful. First the ghost of her evil grandmother haunted her every move, then her best friend was accused of murder and of course there was the discovery that Archer Cross, aka the boy of her dreams, was actually an undercover demon hunter - which would probably be something she could have worked on, if she hadn't also discovered that she was actually the demon Archer was hunting…

 
So, despite their issues, Sophie is actually relieved to be spending the summer in London with her father. But when your father is Head of The Council of Prodigium and your summer is being spent at the headquarters of everything magical, then a quiet holiday isn't really that likely. And, as Sophie struggles to come to terms with her new found demon powers, she finds herself thrust once again into a world of dark magic and conspiracies. The only thing that could possibly make things more complicated would be for Archer Cross to show up again, which of course he wouldn't, would he?

 

 

My Rating:  2.5/5

Having read Hex Hall back in 2011 its sequel Raising Demons is one of the oldest books on my TBR and so it was really satisfying to finally get around to reading it. 

I feel like I would have enjoyed this book a lot more had I read it back in 2011. I reread Hex Hall in preparation for finishing this series and did not like it anywhere near as much as I did back then. 

The amount of tropes this book contained showed just how much the YA genre has developed and matured over the last 7 years. I found I was a lot more aware of these than I had been in the past. 

Seeing as this book is somewhat oldish now it was fantastic to see LGBT representation in this book and this was given more attention than the first book.

The main issue I had with this book was Sophie's relationship with Archer. Sophie claims to be in love with him even though they have barely had any interactions with one another, he had a girlfriend for the whole of the first book and he tried to kill her. It was all a little to insta-love for me to believe. 

Sophie developed quite a lot in this book. She not only met her father for the first time but she also started to learn how to harness her powers that come with being a powerful demon.

 

I did find Sophie annoying at times though as she pined over Archer. I can see a dreaded love triangle forming in the third book which I am not looking forward to at all. 

I really liked the setting of Hex Hall in the first book but I liked the setting of the counsel headquarters especially as it was in England and we got to see a wider view of this world.

Book Review #735 - The Fandom by Anna Day

Cosplay ready, Violet and her friends are at Comic-Con.

They can’t wait to meet the fandom of mega movie, The Gallows Dance. What they’re not expecting is to be catapulted by freak accident into their favourite world – for real. Fuelled by love, guilt and fear, can the friends put the plot back on track and get out? The fate of the story is in their hands ...

My Rating: 2.5/5

I received this book for review from Scholastic Australia. 

This book sounded so interesting and definitely something I would enjoy. 

I predicted the way this book would end extremely early and from then on I felt like the book dragged immensely. 

The book was just over 400 pages long, felt about 1200 pages long and probably should have been 200 pages long. 

I loved all the pop culture references from things like Divergent, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones to thing like The Beatles.

The book begins with our protagonist Violet giving a class presentation about her favourite book The Gallows Dance. Through this she basically tells us the whole synopsis of that book so it removed all the possibilities for potential plot twists because from the first chapter we have a good idea of what is to come.

A thing that bothered me throughout was Violet's relationship with her brother Nate. Like Violet, I have a brother who is a few years younger than me. Unlike Violet, however I have never once felt the need to baby him like she did to Nate. I felt like for their relationship to be realistic the siblings should either have been friends or Nate should have been around 6 years old rather than 14. 

Another issue I had was Violet's relationship with her so called friends. I felt like she was only friends with Alice because they were in the same fandom because there was a constant rivalry between the two of them. 

Once Violet and her friends were transported to the world of The Gallows Dance I felt like there could have been more world building. I didn't like that I was constantly told information through Violet discussing 'canon' rather than being shown.

I did really like the world and characters with the world of The Gallows Dance and how there was a lot of detail considering the length of time actually spent there as well as the fact that it was essentially a book within a book.

Overall, I really struggled with this one. I had high expectations for it as it sounded so interesting but ultimately it fell a little flat for me. 

Book Review #721 - The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

 

 

My Rating: 8/10

 

 

I read this book straight after I finished the Wings series and whilst I would usually read a couple of book between picking up a book in a similar genre, I couldn't on this occasion as this book was for book club.

 

I have tried reading Holly Black before (not including her books with Cassandra Clare) and have never been able to get into them so I was rather worried this book would suffer the same fate.

 

 

When I first started this book, I found it really slow and if it wasn't for book club I probably would have given up. It took me around 100 or so pages though and then I couldn't put the book down. I ended up staying up until around 4:00am to finish it and read it entirely in one sitting.

 

 

The faeries in this book were simply amazing. I loved the mythology behind them and because the narrator Jude was a human surrounded by these immortal creatures, they were rather scary at times. This was the first book I have read where the faeries were portrayed on the darker scale - and I loved it.

 

 

I don't usually enjoy politics in books but I found this was one of my favourite elements in this story especially as the story progressed. There were so many twists along the way, it was never boring.

 

 

I loved Jude as a narrator. She was kidnapped from her human world and so has virtually grown up in the faerie realm her entire life. Even though it is completely dangerous for her there, this is the only home she has ever known so she doesn't have many options.

 

 

Jude's twin sister on the other hand makes entirely different life changing decisions than Jude and so I am eagerly anticipating the next book to see where that, and about a thousand other things are going to go as this book has endless possibilities.

Book Review #720 - Destined (Wings #4) by Aprilynne Pike

Laurel used to think she was an ordinary girl from Crescent City, California. She never would have believed she was truly a faerie from a realm called Avalon.

Now Laurel must risk her life to save Avalon from destruction by Yuki—a rare and powerful Winter faerie—and troll-hunter Klea. But Laurel won’t have to fight alone; David and Tamani, two boys she loves in different ways, will be by her side, along with her best friend, Chelsea.

 

 

My Rating: 7/10

 

 

This is the fourth book in the Wings series and is definitely my favourite so far. I loved the amount of action there was in this book especially as it was told over a 24 hour period.

 

 

Laurel didn't annoy me as much in this book as she had in previous books and I think this was because she finally started to mature.

 

 

David really developed a lot in this book as well, and I think he finally grew on me. He took his role in the battle to save Avalon from trolls very heroically.

 

 

Overall, I was really satisfied with how this book and series ended and so I am really undecided on whether to read the recently written fifth book which is set 10 years after the events of this book.

Book Review #719 - Illusions (Wings #3) by Aprilynne Pike

Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.

But just as life is returning to normal, Laurel discovers that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail.

 

 

My Rating: 6/10

 

 

Due to the constant possibility of a troll attack, Tamani enters the human world and becomes a student at Laurel's human school. This quickly causes tension between Laurel and David which I was totally okay with as I have never felt a spark between them anyway and prefer them as friends.

 

 

I loved that this book had a number of twists along the way, more than the first two books combined although I felt like the romance took way more focus that it needed to.

 

 

Like with Spells, Laurel's indecisiveness between David and Tamani was frustrating. She still continued to lead both of them on.

 

 

I loved the whole mystery surrounding Yuki and this was my favourite part of the book as it was something that was different from anything previously dealt with in this series. Plus, it sped up Laurel's indecisiveness.

 

 

Overall, I felt like this book tied up a lot of minor threads whilst setting everything up for the final book which I can't wait to read.

Book Review #718 - Spells (Wings #2) by Aprilynne Pike

Although Laurel has come to accept her true identity as a faerie, she refuses to turn her back on her human life - and especially her boyfriend, David - to return to the faerie world.

But when she is summoned to Avalon, Laurel's feelings for the charismatic faerie sentry Tamani are undeniable. She is forced to make a choice - a choice that could break her heart.

 

 

My Rating: 5/10

 

 

This book begins with Laurel going to study at the academy in Avalon, the secret faerie realm. I absolutely loved the setting of Avalon and how authentic and magical it felt. I only wished that more of the book could have been set there.

 

 

This book delved a lot deeper into the world of faeries and trolls as well as the characters. I especially liked the insight into Laurel's pre-human life.

 

 

The love triangle strengthened in this book. I think a love triangle is well written when the outcome divides readers. With this book however, of the reviews I have read, all have sided with Tamani.

 

 

In this aspect, I felt like Laurel through her decisiveness was stringing both David and Tamani along and I it frustrated me that she could not simply just make up her mind.

 

 

Laurel learns more about her role as a fall faerie. I loved the whole idea about the hierarchy amongst the faeries based on what season they blossom. I thought that element was really creative and unique.

 

 

Overall, I feel like this book started setting things in motion for future instalments and I can't wait to see where this story is going to go.

Book Review - Wings (Wings #1) by Aprilynne Pike

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

 

 

My Rating: 7/10

 

 

I read and reviewed this book back in 2012 and here is my original review. I decided to review it again because I didn't feel like that review accurately portrayed my opinions.

 

 

This was a very easy book to read. I read this straight after finishing Ready Player One and so the larger print sized helped me fly through this book.

 

 

Laurel has always known she was different but it isn't until she starts school after a lifetime of homeschooling that she realises just how different she is.

 

 

As if the fact Laurel can only eat fruit and veggies wasn't weird enough, Laurel notices a small lump on her back which soon blossoms into a large flower.

 

 

During this whole discovery Laurel never tells her parents which I thought was strange considering her close relationship with them. Instead she tells her new friend and nerd David who helps her come to the realisation that she is not human.

 

 

I never really liked David. He seemed too perfect and tries too hard. I can see that a love triangle is going to develop between him, Laurel and another non-human in Tamani. This could even potentially develop into a love square if Chelsea is considered as she seems to have an unrequited crush on David.

 

 

I really loved the unique mythology of how the faeries are plant type creatures and the lifelong feud between them and the trolls whose goal is to get into the secret faerie realm of Avalon.

 

 

Overall, I thought this was a solid first book in a series and I am intrigued to see where this story will go in future novels.

Book Review #715 - Strange Angels (Strange Angels #1) by Lili St. Crow

In Strange Angels, Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.) Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

My Rating: 6.5/10

I decided to read this book when I discovered that I surprisingly had the entire series on my shelves. I have found these books at thrift shops over the years and so this book has been on my TBR for a significant period of time. 

I'm a massive fan of the TV show Supernatural and there were very minor elements in this book that reminded of it, such as Dru's father being a hunter since her mother had died and him dragging her around the country to hunt monsters. 

Dru was a character I feel like I never really got to know. She went through so much in this book that she had to put on a strong exterior and I felt like this wasn't the real her, but we never really got to see past it.

I loved that this book creates its own lore when it comes to the monsters such as how Dru's father became a zombie. 

I really wanted to love this book more than what I did but I couldn't help but feel I would have loved it had I read it 5-10 years ago. 

Dru meets a mysterious guy called Graves who like Dru is all alone. I would have liked Graves to have had more character development as not much is explored with him especially as he is present for a significant portion of the book.

Dru also meets another mysterious guy called Christophe, but he is mysterious as in not human. 

Dru was very indecisive and I found that frustrating especially at the pivotal moments. 

There were also moments in the book especially the action scenes where I felt like I wasn't getting the whole picture. 

I had planned to marathon read this series but after reading this first book I already feel like I need a break from it which can't be a good sign. 

Book Review #710 - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

 

A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world--but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart--an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests--or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate. 

 

 

My Rating: 8/10

 

 

I obviously went into this book with it having quite a lot of hype which and I hadn't read a book like that for a while. A number of reviews labelled this book as 'Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland'. This commonly used line both intrigued and worried me as whilst I love Harry Potter (and still consider it my favourite series of all time) I really did not enjoy Alice in Wonderland.

 

I found this book very magical and whimsical both with the story and the with the writing style. I found it hard to believe that this was author Jessica Townsend's debut novel.

 

I wouldn't go as far to say that this book is this generation's Harry Potter as I think that Harry Potter is timeless, but this book was still really enjoyable.

 

For a children's book, I loved how fleshed it all was. The settings were all wonderfully magical and every single character had depth and personality.

 

When I first started reading this book I thought that it was trying to be like Harry Potter as it follows and 11 year old girl who escapes her repressive world by being introduced to a world of magic. But this is where the similarities to Harry Potter ended as this book is charming in its own magical way.

Book Review #704 - Supernatural: The Roads Not Taken by Tim Waggoner

Whether the reader is new to the Supernatural family or has been with them since the beginning, they’re in for a wild and surprising ride with Supernatural: The Roads Not Taken.

For the first time ever, you can make decisions alongside Sam and Dean Winchester in their quest to battle monsters, demons, and every Big Bad looking to crawl out of the dark recesses of America’s small towns. Open up a local paper in a diner and pick which strange occurrence the boys will investigate first. Jump headfirst into your very own adventure with the Winchester brothers and pick your cover story: will you be an FBI agent, reporter, or bikini inspector? Figure out which lead to follow. Decide whether to split up or stay together. Do you call Bobby Singer for help? And remember, the clock is ticking! If you make the wrong decision, another victim could meet a dark and gory death.

Demons, spirits, and ghouls lurk around every corner, waiting to get the drop on Sam and Dean — and only by following all the clues, interviewing the right suspects, and making the right choices can you lead them to victory. This heart-pounding interactive adventure will be broken down into a series of five original stories, each with branching storylines and multiple endings, all based on the choices the reader makes.

My Rating: 6/10

I used to read a lot of 'Choose your own adventure' books as a kid and loved how you could reread the book numerous times and get a different story each time. This book isn't like that however, as your choices have consequences. If you don't pick the right option each time, you get Sam and Dean killed. 

I have read a number of Supernatural related books now but this book is definitely the closest I have found that captured Dean and Sam's personalities. 

I loved the ending how the four very short stories all connected together unexpectedly. 

Book Review #702 - Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veronica Rossi

EXILED from her safe home in the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria finds herself in the outer wastelands known as the Death Shop. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent energy storms will. There she meets a savage, an Outsider named Perry – wild, dangerous – who is her only chance of survival. 

But Perry needs Aria, too, and they are forced into an unlikely alliance that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

My Rating: 6/10

This is a YA dystopian series that was popular when it was first released but not one I ever seemed to get around to reading.

First of all I thought that the world building was not as strong as I would have liked it to have been, just even on a basic scale. 

Aria grew up in the pods, an underground area that is protected from the outside elements where they have superior technology. This upbringing made her rather sheltered and privileged.

On the other hand, Perry grew up outside in the elements where everything is about survival. I loved his relationship with his nephew Talon. In fact Perry's whole family dynamic was an interesting element that I hope to see explored in future books.

I found the plot progressed rather slowly. Most of the book is Aria and Perry travelling and so there was very little action for long periods of time. 

Overall, I think I probably would have enjoyed this book more had I read it during its hype, but I still managed to enjoy it and I looking forward to continuing on with series sometime hopefully this year. 

Book Review #697 - The Shining (The Shining #1) by Stephen King

Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote...and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

My Rating: 4/5

This is my third Stephen King novel and it's definitely my favourite so far (with the other two being Carrie and Salem's Lot).

This book was completely different than what I was expecting. I did not expect the protagonist to be a five year old boy, even though I did love him in that role.

I found the setting of the story to be the main element in the whole thrilling nature of the book. Not only is the Torrence family alone in a very old, isolated and haunted hotel but a huge snow storm causes them to become even more isolated.

Family is an important theme in this book especially between father and son. Danny idolizes his father Jack but Jack hasn't always treated Danny well in the past, especially when he gets drunk.

Flashbacks show that Jack had a similar relationship with his own father.

I really liked the supernatural element in this story. Danny has the ability to hear people's thoughts and at times see the future. This ability is called "the shining". 

This ability and Danny's young age make him very vulnerable and innocent which makes me think he probably needed a life time of therapy following the way the book ended.

When the family move to the isolated hotel where Jack finds employment, Danny's ability becomes stronger as the hotel makes all three of them suffer bouts of insanity. 

I'm not sure how I feel about Jack. He wasn't a very nice person to begin with and the hotel made him worse. The flashbacks to where he was drunk and the way he treated Wendy and Danny make him unlikable. 

The book wasn't as thrilling as I thought it was going to be but it did have a number of hair raising moments. I can definitely see why Joey Tribbiani felt the need to put this book in the freezer.