Firewalker | Book review

Title: Firewalker (The Worldwalker Trilogy #2)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Published: September 1st 2015 by Feiwel and Friends

Goodreads summary: Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in the second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.

"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

Picking up right where Trial By Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini! 

REVIEW

Firewalker starts right where Trial by Fire left off, it put me back up in the story right away (I read Trial by Fire in August, so it wasn't a problem at all). Lily and Rowan are back in her world, where she first has to heal and then face the consequences for leaving during three months. Because obvisouly, if you go missing for three months, the police is investigating, the FBI is involved in that case, which is tough for Lily, but also Tristan who was suspected for months. It made sense that Lily had a hard time going back to school after all these events, it brought a slower pace to the book but it wasn't a bad thing.

With Lily's return in her world, we saw characters we had in the first book, who became closer to her and really important for the turn on events. Because soon, Lily's life is threatened again, she has to make her own covent and go back to Rowan's world. 

At the same time, Lillian shows us her memories to explain Lily why she did what she did in her world. I really enjoyed knowing more of Lillian's motives, Lily understood and respected it, even if she is trying to do it her way. Loyalties are soon questionned, especially between Lily and Rowan, because Alaric's motives are explained and aren't that benefic to this world. 

The world of the Thirteen cities was expended, I enjoyed learning more about the Woven and the Hive. I'm looking forward to see what these discoveries will bring to the next book, which I need as soon as possible. 

Just like with the previous book, I had a hard time processing everything that was happening, because there are a lot of information, switch of points of view and memories of other people in one chapter... Toward the middle of the book, I got a little confused, but it was better at the end. 

I wasn't really happy with Rowan and Lily's relationship in this book, because it was obvious they lacked communication and it would explode in their faces... I didn't agree with the choice one of them did, I hope this person will make up for it in the next book, but I have high hopes. My favourite relationship was Lily and Juliet's, in both world actually, they love each other so much it makes me want to cry. 

I felt like a lot of things were revealed in the last pages, it is a lot to process. I'm a little sad with that ending, because a part of it was too easy, but at the same time, there is a revelation about this world that makes me think and eager to know what will happen next (yeah, it's cryptic I know!).

• My review of Trial by Fire

Have you read this book or Trial by Fire? What did you think of it? 

Mortal Gods | Book review

Title: Mortal Gods (Goddess War #2)

Author: Kendare Blake

Published: October 14th 014

Goodreads summary: Ares, God of War, is leading the other dying gods into battle. Which is just fine with Athena. She's ready to wage a war of her own, and she's never liked him anyway. If Athena is lucky, the winning gods will have their immortality restored. If not, at least she'll have killed the bloody lot of them, and she and Hermes can die in peace.

Cassandra Weaver is a weapon of fate. The girl who kills gods. But all she wants is for the god she loved and lost to return to life. If she can't have that, then the other gods will burn, starting with his murderer, Aphrodite.

The alliance between Cassandra and Athena is fragile. Cassandra suspects Athena lacks the will to truly kill her own family. And Athena fears that Cassandra's hate will get them ALL killed.

The war takes them across the globe, searching for lost gods, old enemies, and Achilles, the greatest warrior the world has ever seen. As the struggle escalates, Athena and Cassandra must find a way to work together. Because if they can't, fates far worse than death await.

REVIEW

“It’s going to be an interesting day tomorrow,” he said. “All that glory.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “And so many dead gods.”

This book was a real transition to the next book, because it focused more on finding new allies in the upcoming war and training the mortal ones (that used to fight in the Trojan War). I didn’t really mind that there wasn’t much going on, because we learned a lot about the world and had a lot of character development.

The first chapter just felt like Athena’s evil plan, because she went back to Demeter to ask her what to do. It was so fun to read about. We also got the point of view of the other gods, amongst whom Ares. The gods just seemed like a freaky family, it was more relatable, even if their relationship were twisted. Moreover, we learned that they weren’t above everything, that there were “gods of gods”, which explains why the Olympians were dying.

Throughout the book, Cassandra, Henry and Andie struggled to find a balance between who they are and what they used to be. Grieve was a great part in this transformation because of Aidan’s death. I really liked that Andie asked to be trained, when it wasn’t the case for the other two, it was her way to get over that grief. We also saw that Cassandra was changing because she wanted revenge, and understood at some point that it wasn’t everything – even if she’s still REAL MAD at Aphrodite.

The different points of view were well handled by the author, because they were all needed. Of course, I didn’t particularly want to read about Ares, but this way, we got to know what the other gods were doing, so it wasn’t a “surprise” at the end. This way, it also felt a lot like a preparation for war, with both camps led by a war-god.

I like how Blake is handling mythology, she isn’t telling it, but just says random information, like when Calypso said she was “basically Odysseus’ girlfriend”. Of course after that we got more information, but it was funnier that way. Also, I laughed so much when they got to drive all the way to Olympus and Athena regretted no to have took a van.

The ending was really fast-paced and everything happened at the same time, so I’m a little confused by it. Still, it ended on a big cliff-hanger, because the characters will be in different places when Ungodly starts.

• My review of Antigoddess

Have you read this book or at least the first book, Antigoddess? What did you think of it? 

The Revolution of Ivy | Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: The Revolution of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #2)

Author: Amy Engel

Published: November 3rd 2015 by Entangled Teen

Goodreads summary: Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty--forced marriages and murder plots--for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall's borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy's life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she's fought for.

MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed the Book of Ivy, even if it was a tad predictable. Ivy was an amazing character, if at first she believed everything her family taught her, she started to doubt when she met Bishop. She was so brave and selfless at the end of the first book. I totally fell for the romance and can't wait for both characters to be together again (fingers crossed). I hope it'll be a kick-ass book!

Have you read the Book of Ivy? What did you think of it? Are you excited for this one? Which book(s) are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Halloween Book Recomendations | Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic has to be linked to Halloween, so I thought I would make a Halloween book recommendations!

1.      Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

I have a feeling I’ll be mentioning these books forever, considered how obsessed I am with them these days! I know a lot of us are reluctant to books with zombies, but really, it’s more about necromancy! It is set at the end of the 19^th century and the characters travel all around the world, it gets us to such magical places. It is a must read for fans of The Infernal Devices. It’s also CREEPY.

2.      The Diviners by Libba Bray

I love the atmosphere in these books. It also has a historical setting because it is set in New York during the 1920’s. these books are creepy, because of Naughty John in the first one, but also because of the dreams in the second one, it’s possible you’ll be scared to sleep after this! It features a cast of very diverse characters; we get to see every aspect of New York this way.

3.      Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar’s Children by Ransom Riggs

This book is also kind of historical in fact, ha-ha. The photographs are enough to make this creepy actually, I’m in awe that Ransom Riggs was able to get them and put them in his story! The setting of Library of Souls was deliciously creepy, please read it.

4.      The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

This book is set in Ireland and its beautiful haunted landscapes. It is centred on a family which is accident-prone every October and our main characters are trying to find out why. You never really know if you’re in reality or in your dreams, it’s a feeling I really enjoyed because I felt like I was floating.

5.      This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee

It is inspired by Frankenstein, so of course it’s made for Halloween! It’s set in Geneva at the beginning of the 19^th century and Frankenstein the novel is a big part of the plot!

6.      Jackaby by William Ritter

This book is pitched as Doctor Who meets Sherlock Holmes; do you need more to buy it? Honestly, it is like a Sherlock Holmes’ novel, except the mysteries are surrounded by paranormal aspects. It is also set in a creepy town the characters are wandering in at night.

7.      Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier

If you’re a fan of The Raven Boys, you’ll love this book. It deals with dreams and demons and I think the events are triggered during a Halloween so yessss.

8.      The Archived by Victoria Schwab

It is an urban fantasy where every dead soul is on a shelf, but sometimes they ran away. It’s the job of Mackenzie, our main character, to hunt them down. This idea is really fascinating and creepy at the same time.

9.      The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

That’s Sanderson’s YA novel which involves magic and evil creatures made of chalk. It is reminiscent of Harry Potter in a good way, because there is a character that will make you think of Snape. However, the next book will probably be released in the next century *sighs*

10.   The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

Look, another historical fiction! I think I’m obsessed with these at the moment (because of Something Strange and Deadly). It is the story of peculiar women who belongs to the same family and it’s beautiful and heart-breaking and a creepy. 

What do you think I should read on Halloween? 

Let me know in the comments ;)

Ice like Fire | Book review

Title: Ice like Fire (Snow like Ashes #2)

Author: Sara Raasch

Published: October 13th 2015 by Balzer + Bray

Goodreads summary: It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world. 

REVIEW

This book felt like a transition to an epic finale, because it focused more on politics and securing alliances, but also finding how to open the magical chasm. The action picked up in the last third of the book or so, it was addictive and felt like everything happened at once, but it also felt it ended when the book started to be really interesting. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it a great deal.

Ice like Fire starts three months after the end of Snow like Ashes, Winter’s kingdom is under Cordell’s domination, because Noam wants to discover the magical chasm. Of course, Winter’s miners found it, but the characters realize they need keys to open it, and that they are in other kingdoms. It’s the beginning of a diplomatic journey for Meira and Theron. 

The world was largely expanded in this book, because we got to discover three kingdoms, very diverse. For Meira, it was the moment to find new friends but also enemies. At the same time, she struggles with herself to figure out who she is: the queen or the solider? She tries to find the answer while she observes – and judges – how the other kings and queens rule their kingdoms.

However, Theron seems to be more distant, because he has plan of his own. I have the feeling the author wanted us to change our minds for the love triangle, because a lot of fans were Team Theron. Because of this book, I know some of them are now Team Mather. It upsets me when authors are playing with us like that; it feels like I don’t have a choice, because of course I liked Mather better than Theron in this book.

Mather’s point of view was introduced in this book, in the beginning I felt like the author did it just to make us like him better. Of course, when Meira leaves for her diplomatic journey and that Mather has to stay in Winter; you can understand why the author introduced his point of view. He represented the rebellion in the middle of Cordellan domination; I really enjoyed his dynamics with the Children of Thaw. 

Finding the keys seemed pretty easy, as Meira highlighted it, but there are a lot of things she will now have to face, because it was just the beginning. The ending was a twist for a part of it and made me really eager to have the next book in my hands, because so many things to process and so many things I want to know right now. I almost feel like the wait will kill me. The Order of Lustrate seems really interesting; I can’t wait to see the part they will play in all of this.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

A Thousand Pieces of You | Book review

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1)

Author: Claudia Gray

Published: November 4th 2014 by HarperTeen

Goodreads summary: Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

REVIEW

I was intrigued by this book because of the idea of this world and honestly, that’s what made me fall in love with it. The idea of these parallel universes was really interesting, I enjoyed reading about every one of them, I was so excited every time Marguerite was going to a new one. About that, I found it realistic that because the characters were jumping into their other selves’ bodies, they had hard times remembering who they really were and needed a “reminder”.

I really enjoyed these characters, even if I would have loved to see a little more backstory. The dynamics between Marguerite’s family was so cute. About the romance, Claudia Gray definitely knew how to make me feel everything. I was rooting for one love interest, then another… Yes, it was so well-written. I’m questioning one of Marguerite’s decisions, though. But we’ll see how it goes in the next books.

“I meant it when I said I didn’t believe in love at first sight. It takes time to really, truly fall for someone. Yet I believe in a moment. A moment when you glimpse the truth within someone, and they glimpse the truth within you. In that moment, you don’t belong to yourself any longer, not completely. Part of you belongs to him; part of him belongs to you. After that, you can’t take it back, no matter how much you want to, no matter how hard you try.”

The writing was very visual, I could easily picture the world, but maybe not as easily the characters. You can say Claudia Gray has experience in writing, because she totally knew how to handle that romance! I also have some memorable quotes, which doesn't happen with every book I read. 

The plot was compelling and kept my interest during the whole book. The fact that we jumped straight into the action when Marguerite writes “Kill Paul Markov” on a wall for her other self hooked me. Changing universes made the action fast-paced, because the characters had to understand where they were, maybe find each other and then resolving everything.

I didn’t really see the ending coming, I guessed the plot twists just seconds before the main character, so it was really well done! I enjoyed how connected everything was, even if the Firebird had just been invented in Marguerite’s world. I’m looking forward to see what the second book has in store!

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

This Monstrous Thing | Book Review

Title: This Monstrous Thing
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Published: September 22nd 2015 by Katherine Tegen Books

Goodreads summary: In 1818 Geneva, men built with clockwork parts live hidden away from society, cared for only by illegal mechanics called Shadow Boys. Two years ago, Shadow Boy Alasdair Finch’s life shattered to bits.

His brother, Oliver—dead.

His sweetheart, Mary—gone.

His chance to break free of Geneva—lost.

Heart-broken and desperate, Alasdair does the unthinkable: He brings Oliver back from the dead.

But putting back together a broken life is more difficult than mending bones and adding clockwork pieces. Oliver returns more monster than man, and Alasdair’s horror further damages the already troubled relationship.

Then comes the publication of Frankenstein and the city intensifies its search for Shadow Boys, aiming to discover the real life doctor and his monster. Alasdair finds refuge with his idol, the brilliant Dr. Geisler, who may offer him a way to escape the dangerous present and his guilt-ridden past, but at a horrible price only Oliver can pay… 

REVIEW

I’ll be honest; I’ve never read Frankenstein or a retelling of it, because it never really appealed me. However, we were in October, so Halloween’s time, and I told myself I didn’t want to be an idiot and never try a Frankenstein book. I was right, because this is one of the best books I’ve read this year, and it’s a debut!

The historical setting was on point. It totally shows that Mackenzi Lee did her research, because I totally felt into 19^th century Europe (Switzerland, the German confederation). The writing made it so much easier to picture everything. The society was pictured in a realistic way, for example I really enjoyed that the clockwork men were seen as ungodly and to be seen as less-than-nothing, because Switzerland was a very religious country (because of Calvin in the 16^th century) and it was the mentalities at that time, even if it was starting to change. Moreover, the intellectual world was among those social aspects, I really enjoyed it, because I have a “19^th century Europe intellectuals” class at uni this year, it was right my alley because I knew all these intellectuals.

I really enjoyed the steampunk aspect; it was interesting how it was all linked up to Frankenstein, because the clockwork men could totally identify themselves to the creature. This leads me to something that surprised me in a good way and was one of my favourite aspects of this book: the book itself, Frankenstein. I thought that because it was a retelling, there would be no mention of the book, but that’s the contrary (that's because I didn't read the summary, tbh). Frankenstein is here inspired by the events of the book and plays a big part in the plot, for example the main character has to figure out who wrote it (even if I figured it out right away).

The characters were enjoyable, but not my favourite part of this story. However, one of the characters is gay; it was something I really enjoyed because being gay then was way more difficult than now. Moreover, this character was actually my favourite. Considering the romance, I liked that something could have happened but didn’t, it was a nice change in a YA book. Indeed, two years before the story, the character in question would have dreamt of this relationship, but after all the events of the book… He didn’t.

The ending was totally open, it was enough and I really enjoyed that the characters took different paths, even if they had lived a lot together. This book was enough as a standalone and I wouldn’t want it to be a series, because it was great this way.

Have you read this book or do you plan to? What did you think of it?

Winter | Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Published: November 10th by Feiwel and Friends

Goodreads summary: Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

MY THOUGHTS

What can I tell you, except that this is the book I've been waiting for since Cress was released? I need it in my life since then, but sadly, it wasn't published in February (which seems so far away)... I hope this book will be worth it and live up to my expectations, because it is the last book... I can't express my feelings, because I'm a little too excited (more than for Queen of Shadows, so I'm scared).

Are you excited for this book? What do you think of the Lunar Chronicles? Which book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Creatures of the Night | Book Tag

This tag was created last year by the Booktuber Katytastic, I thought it would be a great time to do it, because you know, Halloween is coming and everything. I must resist the urge to post Nightmare before Christmas' gifs but it's HAAAAARD. This tag is really easy to do, because you just have to pick a book for a paranormal creature. 

VAMPIRES

When I think about it, that's all I was reading back in the day, but now, vampire books aren't working for me anymore (like The Coldest Girl in Coldtown). But, two years ago, I read Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead and this is the best vampire series I've ever read! Even if it took a lot of dedication (it is six books long and Bloodlines also has six books), it was totally worth it! I love the turn took on the vampire, it's inspired by folklore and it was SO GOOD. The main character is totally kick-ass, you will swoon over her love interest, aaaaand... There is Adrian Ivashkov so you should be sold!

WEREWOLVES

IDK why but I don't really remember werewolves books I read (yes one but it's spoilery^^) except for Twilight obviously. I'm gonna cheat a little and choose the Need series by Carrie Jones because there are shapeshifters and a werewolf among them! There are a were-tiger, a were-bear, so that's pretty cool! In fact, there are all sorts of paranormal creatures because there are pixies and even Norse mythology! I never read the last book because I spoiled myself BUT this book was cool because it had a list of phobias.

ZOMBIES

I've read one zombie book in my life and I finished it about... Yesterday (I'm not kidding guys). Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard is set in 19th century Philadelphia and it was amazing!!! I still haven't gathered my thoughts about it so I can't tell you more except that I was soooo stupid for not reading this sooner! Also, I tweeted to Susan Dennard after I finished the book and she thanked me for reading it, she's so adorable! I'm becoming a Hungry and will eat this series 'til the end of times. Also, the next book is set in Paris, so there's that! :D

GHOSTS

I read Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake two years ago and it's a must-read for Halloween! The atmosphere is totally creepy, I looooooved the way it was an urban fantasy and the main character was a ghost hunter! The cover is stunning, I have the UK edition so it's part of the Books with Bite collection, which makes me laugh so much.

WITCH/WARLOCK/SPELLCASTER

HARRY POTTER! MAGNUS BANE!

It's so obvious I had to mention it, of course... More seriously, the magic system of Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms is on point, they have a magic academy near the military academy, there are amulets and everything... And of course there's Han who is a great main character who also happens to be... A thief. So yes, the spellcasters in these books are GREAT.

FAIRY/FAE

I was brainstorming when I remembered... *suspens* A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (how did I forget?). This book had such a great world-building with the Courts (Winter, Fall, Summer, Spring, Day and Night), I loved it. It was a really good book anyway, the last part of it took me by surprise because it was less "Beauty and the Beast" than the beginning, but it was as amazing. I can't wait to see the characters when A Court of Mist and Fury is released.

DEMONS

The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent is a dystopia with demons. Oh God, this book was so great and took me by surprise. People that are believed to be demons are burnt in front of the all town so that's quite gruesome and scary and awful. 

ANGELS

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand has a special place in my heart because it was such a cute series. I was such a Clara/Tucker shipper (because Carrots ♥), I cried sooooo much (I cry for every single book she wrote anyways). No but honestly it was such a beautiful book with hope within it... *sighs dreamily*

ALIENS

I haven't read a lot of books with aliens in it, like there is The 5th Wave (mixed feelings for the second book), Alienated (ugh) and the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I adored the Lux, I know it was cheesy and everything but I loved it about these books! Compared to JLA's other paranormal books I didn't like (White Hot Kiss), the plot was important and so was the world-building. Of course, it was also a lot about Daemon and Kathy's relationship but I was rooting for them! And she was a book blogger so it excuses everything! 

SUPERPOWERED HUMANS

I thought about The Flash and then X-Men and then Heroes, but that's not books! Anyways The Darkest Minds features kids that have superpowers. The adults are actually scared of them and send them to camps, apparently to cure them, but in reality they never come back because no one knows what's happening. The part about the camps was absolutely dreadful, but in the second book, an organization works with the characters as a team and it was soooo X-Men I loved it!

Tell me your list for this tag, I'm always looking for more recommendations :)

The Accident Season | Book review

Title: The Accident Season

Author: Moira Fowley-Doyle

Published: August 18th 2015 by Corgi Children

Goodreads summary: It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?

REVIEW

So let’s raise our glass to the accident season,
To the river beneath us where we sink our souls,
To the bruises and secrets, to the ghosts in the ceiling,

One more drink for the watery road.

This book was really addictive and I read it in one sitting, because once you're sucked into the mystery, you just want to keep reading to know what the ending will be. The writing was beautiful, blurred the lines between reality and magic, so that you kept asking yourself if what was going on was real or not.  

I really enjoyed the plot of this book, because who doesn't love a good mystery? It was gripping and scary because of the scenery. This book is set in Ireland, with bridges that crumbled under your feet and a frozen river beneath it, but also a creepy abandoned house. I was on the edge of my sit, because I was expecting anything: the thing is, with this accident season, anything can happen, people even DIE. The twists blew my mind tbh, I know it's not everyone case, but just WOW. 

Mrs. McCarthys turns to Bea. "Miss Kivlan," she says. "We are not in Hogwarts, we are in fifth-year French. So you can now lead the class in a chant about irregular verbs."

The characters didn't really stand out to me, but it didn't bother me that much, because they made me laugh so much. I liked that Bea was the kind of girls who read cards and all that jazz. Actually, the best thing about the characters wastheir dynamics, because three of them leaves in the same house, they're all like siblings. I enjoyed the romance, but I don't think it added anything to the story (even if I had feels).

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and was teary-eyed toward the end, because it was so moving when everything was revealed. At the same time, it was really cute. If you enjoy books about family, this one is definitely for you!

Have you read this book or are you interested? What did you think about it?

Never Never | Book review

Title: Never Never

Author: Brianna Shrum

Published: September 22nd 2015 by Spencer Hill Press

Goodreads summary: James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up.

When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child—at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children’s dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart. Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up.

But grow up he does. And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate.

This story isn’t about Peter Pan; it’s about the boy whose life he stole. It’s about a man in a world that hates men. It’s about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan. Except one.

REVIEW

At first, I was really intrigued by this book and really wanted to know more of Hook’s backstory, which was a success, but this book didn’t captivate me, I had a hard time finishing it. I felt the story was a bit slow in the beginning, I wasn’t hooked right away, but it was better when we got into Neverland. I liked that every aspect of Neverland was a child’s dream – James Hook’s is the pirates, of course. It was interesting to see how James starts from being a Lost Boy to the captain we all know about, it’s the aspect I enjoyed the more.

                                                                                  

It was great to see a lot of Tiger Lily, I loved her character. The other characters didn’t really matter, in my opinion, I expected so much more from M. Smee. At first, I really enjoyed the romance, it was original, but at some point it was just DRAMA, it was so frustrating… Ugh. It’s sad because I really shipped the characters together. I had a hard time connecting with Hook, unfortunately. However, the scene with Timothy made me so emotional.

Another problem I had with this book is that it started as middle-grade to switch to young adult. The line between this two genres wasn’t drawn very well, it was a little confusing. Moreover, while reading the book, I was wondering how this would end, because honestly, Hook and Pan’s fight can go on forever, it’s Neverland, after all. The ending was five lines long and I didn’t really care…

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Illuminae | Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)

Author: Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

Published: October 20th 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Goodreads summary: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

MY THOUGHTS

The synopsis sounds sooooo intriguing. Every person who got an early copy of this book said it was amazing and it sounds amazing! This book really looks like one Kaufman can write, because of the Starbound trilogy. Because I know the work of this author, I'm really looking forward to read this, and to discover Jay Kristoff.

Are you excited for this book? Have you read other books by this author? What are you waiting for this wednesday?

Library of Souls | Book review

Title: Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar's Children #3)

Author: Ransom Riggs

Published: September 22th 2015 by Quirk Books

Goodreads summary: The adventures that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued with Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls.

As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all. 

Like its predecessors, Library of Souls blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography.

REVIEW

First of all, guys don’t read these books on an e–reader, because it’s REALLY awful (I tried, once), the pictures are much better quality and creepy in physical copies. I read Hollow City more than a year ago and I couldn’t remember the details very well, when Library of Souls picked right after it. The glossary was helpful, but not enough.

I was glad to be back in this creepy world, I really enjoyed the setting in Devil’s acre (I think it was Victorian era? Even better!). Riggs added a lot to his world, for example tales about peculiardom, it was scary but essential in this story. We got to know the truths behind hollowgasts and wights or meet characters we had heard about. We also learned why Abe was powerless against hollows when he dies or why he left the peculiar’s children.

However, this book had a big flaw, like the others: the chapters were way too long. Despite the pictures that took a lot of place, some of them were 60 pages long; I didn’t have THAT much time to read. Riggs’ writing is very dense, I always have a hard time to concentrate because of it, and it would really help if the chapters were shorter. For example, here, it was a 458 pages long book for eleven chapters.

The plot was fantastic; there wasn’t a moment to be bored. The book focused a lot on the dynamics between Jacob and Emma; I came to enjoy them more together. Addison is my fave, I don’t remember what he looked like so I picture him as Dough from Up!

The ending was simplistic in my opinion, like “boom” everything is resolved.

Have you read this trilogy? What did you think of it?