Book Review: Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

Release Date: April 2nd, 2019
Read: March 31st - April 11th, 2019
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Series: Something Dark and Holy, #1
Format: ARC, 385 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.

   A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

   A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. 

   Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.

   In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light.

DNF Review: Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas

Release Date: February 21st, 2017
Read: August 12th-20th, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 422 pages
Source: Borrowed

Description from GoodReads:

   Freya was never meant be queen. Twenty third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly and the king and those closest to him are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.

   Freya may have escaped the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don’t respect her, her councillors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, Freya knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom – and her life.

   Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can’t trust anyone. Not her advisors. Not the king’s dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her, but also wanted more power for himself.

   As Freya’s enemies close in and her loyalties are tested, she must decide if she is ready to rule and, if so, how far she is willing to go to keep the crown. 

Book Review: Campfire by Shawn Sarles

Release Date: July 17th, 2018
Read: April 14-20th, 2018
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 304 pages
Source: McNally Robinson

Description from GoodReads:

   While camping in a remote location, Maddie Davenport gathers around the fire with her friends and family to tell scary stories. Caleb, the handsome young guide, shares the local legend of the ferocious Mountain Men who hunt unsuspecting campers and leave their mark by carving grisly antlers into their victims' foreheads.

   The next day, the story comes true. 

   Now Maddie and her family are lost in the deep woods--with no way out--being stalked by their worst nightmares. Because there were other, more horrifying stories told that night--and Maddie's about to find out just how they end...

Book Review: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Release Date: April 10th, 2018
Read: January 28th- February 15th, 2018
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Series: The Shadow Game, #1
Format: ARC, 400 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for honest review

Description from GoodReads:

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…

and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. 

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

Review:

   Don't trust unless you must.
   Like everyone, I too, was excited to get my hands on Ace of Shades. A book of gambling your money, and your life? WITH powers? How couldn't I be excited? But of course, the anticipation was short lived when I actually picked up the book.

   You'll notice I have two strong opinions when it comes to Ace of Shades. The first being about the world building, and the second being that I couldn't shake the feeling of having read it before.

   Amanda Foody's world building was exceptionally marvellous, you couldn't help but be in awe when it came to the society, as well as the gang groups and wealthy families. Amanda had them so well put together that when I walk by someone with white hair in the streets I can't help but be a little more cautious. The rankings of the groups, the way the gang's bloodline was still a major focus as it is in reality, but with special abilities, you couldn't help but be amazed at it all.

   The biggest flaw to Ace of Shades was that it wasn't published earlier. If the novel had been published maybe two, three years earlier I'm sure it would have been a huge hit with me. But unfortunately I had already read The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell, and heard so much about Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo before reading this one. I couldn't help but compare everything, and I mean everything from Ace of Shades to The Last Magician. It was actually kind of ridiculous how similar they were. Even the plot twist in Ace of Shades was predicable because the plot twist in The Last Magician was the exact same thing. It was because of this, that I couldn't stand the book. That and the  character Enne, literally drove me mad with all her whining.

   I really wished I could have loved Ace of Shades, but it ended up being a wrong place at the wrong right situation. Since it was the story rather than the writing that ruined the book for me, I still look forward to reading Amanda Foody's debut, Daughter of the Burning City. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"People do not play this Game to win, my dear. They play this game not to lose."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Powers, Gambling, The Last Magician, Six of Crows

Book Review: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Release Date: January 18th, 2018
Read: August 15th-21st, 2017
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 368 pages
Source: McNally Robinson

Description from GoodReads:

   Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

   Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

Review:

   My love he wooed me. My love he slew me.
   It's been roughly seven months since I read The Hazel Wood, and I still remain bitter about the story and the hope I had for the book being crushed. I had such a strong anticipation for The Hazel Wood before it released; the cover was gorgeous, the synopsis was everything I needed from a fairy tale novel, but in the end it let me ever so down.

   I found the lead up to the Hazel Wood to be a complete mess, to me nothing made any sense at all. It was clear that everything was done in anticipation of heading to the Hazel Wood, but it was just filler to me. Not to mention we were constantly told about how all the Hinterland stories were oh so important to saving the mother as well as other things, but we basically got a list of their names and were told the stories later on when the novel was basically almost done. It was later announced after The Hazel Wood was written that there'd be a bind up of all the Hinterland stories, but I honestly think they were needed to comprehend this novel.

   I also found the protagonist and friend were completely bland characters, nothing about them stood out and at times I was even annoyed at hearing their voices. It didn't matter what happened to them in the novels, I could care less about what happened to them.

   I wanted a unique new fairy tale story, but what I got was a bland mess. I still don't understand the hype to the book after having read it, and I'm still so disappointed that a book with such a gorgeous cover could be such a mess underneath.

   The Hazel Wood was a disaster, and under no circumstances will you see me picking up it's sequel in the future.
   

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"If you're not with the book you want, you might as well want the book you're with."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fairy Tales, Retelling, Cities, Murder, Blood

Book Review: Hunting Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Release Date: September 19th, 2017
Read: August 24th-26th, 2017
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper, #2
Format: ARC, 434 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

   But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again. 

Review:

   Catch me if I fall, all right?

   I really wanted to love this book, the same went with the first in the series, Stalking Jack the Ripper.  I had so much hope, only to be disappointed.

  I read Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula back to back, and honestly, that was way too much for me. The writing was easy enough to read, the way Kerri Maniscalco would describe things was phenomenal. It was super intriguing to learn and read about how morticians do their work, especially during the time the series takes place. My only problem with her writing was that it was insanely predictable. You could tell who Jack the Ripper was so easily, and it made the protagonist look as if she was daft. It didn't help that her character was just annoying in the first place.

   I couldn't stand Audrey Rose, she has got to be one of the most annoying characters I've ever read about. All her actions, and views on thing were just so all over the place. She was constantly jumping to conclusions, thus making the worst out of a situation. If I counted, I probably groaned at least 300 times when reading about something that involved her character.

   All that aside, the historical aspects of the story were amazing. Had I not read Hunting Prince Dracula, I would have never known about the secret society involved with Dracula or about the secret passages of death that resided in the castle. If you were able to put aside everything else I said above, then you are definitely in for a treat with the historical aspects of the novel.

   Hunting Prince Dracula was certainly not for me, between my hate of the protagonist and the predicability of the plot, I do not see myself picking up any more of the sequels in the future.

    

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"The world is neither kind nor is it cruel. It simply exists. We have the ability to view it however we choose."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy: 

Young Adult, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Horror, Sherlock Holmes, Romance

Book Review: Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller

Release Date: March 21st, 2017
Read: March 29th-April 5th, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Series: Kaitan Chronicles, #1
Format: ARC, 400 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   Nev has just joined the crew of the starship Kaitan Heritage as the cargo loader. His captain, Qole, is the youngest-ever person to command her own ship, but she brooks no argument from her crew of orphans, fugitives, and con men. Nev can't resist her, even if her ship is an antique. 

   As for Nev, he's a prince, in hiding on the ship. He believes Qole holds the key to changing galactic civilization, and when her cooperation proves difficult to obtain, Nev resolves to get her to his home planet by any means necessary. 

   But before they know it, a rival royal family is after Qole too, and they're more interested in stealing her abilities than in keeping her alive. 


   Nev's mission to manipulate Qole becomes one to save her, and to survive, she'll have to trust her would-be kidnapper. He may be royalty, but Qole is discovering a deep reservoir of power--and stars have mercy on whoever tries to hurt her ship or her crew.

Review:

   What am I supposed to do?
   I can be a big space person depending on the day, depending on the book or movie. So I thought that Shadow Run would be up my ally, the reviews I saw from friends certainly made me think so. Unfortunately in the end I was wrong.

   Right away Shadow Run put off bad vibes for me, it took me a week to get into it, but only one day to finish, and that was only because I wanted to be done with it already. If I was one of those people that DNF books (I don't for the most part), then I would have done just that with this book.

  Overall I think that the story felt like it was missing backstory, so when it jumped right into the main plot it was like I had missed so much. I felt like the world, or I guess I should say universe in this case, could have been so much more. Even if the story took place in a spaceship, I felt as if the story literally locked me in a metal box. I didn't feel anything creative about the story, nothing to hook me in.

   Honestly, I felt like Shadow Run was just way too similar to the movie Jupiter Ascending. I felt the exact same way as I did with the movie as I did with the book, they were both wasted potential.

   I had had hope for Shadow Run, that it would be a next favourite of mine. In the ends things didn't work out that way, and I probably won't be picking up the sequel in the future.  

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Do I drink blood?"- Qole

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Spaceships, Royalty, Bounty's

Book Review: The Graces by Laure Eve

Release Date: September 6th, 2016
Read: August 22nd- 25th, 2016
Publisher: Amulet Books
Series: The Graces, #1
Format: ARC, 352 pages
Source: BEA 2016

Description from GoodReads:

   In The Graces, the first rule of witchcraft states that if you want something badly enough, you can get it . . . no matter who has to pay.

 

   Everyone loves the Graces. Fenrin, Thalia, and Summer Grace are captivating, wealthy, and glamorous. They’ve managed to cast a spell over not just their high school but also their entire town—and they’re rumored to have powerful connections all over the world. If you’re not in love with one of them, you want to be them. Especially River: the loner, new girl at school. She’s different from her peers, who both revere and fear the Grace family. She wants to be a Grace more than anything. And what the Graces don’t know is that River’s presence in town is no accident.

Review:

   Some people are ordinary. 

   Going to BEA 2016, I was able to pick up many treasures. To my delight the Be First Book Club book for August 2016, just happened to be one of the books I picked. That book being The Graces. Where I was originally really excited to read The Graces, the book was not what I was expecting.

   The witchcraft was really confusing to me, it felt like for the most part the author wanted you to think that there weren't any actual witches at all. It all felt so fake, until eventually closer to the end where stuff actually starts to happen. The book was not portrayed correctly in my opinion, if you wanted magic, then you've definitely come to the wrong place. 

   Honestly, the only thing I really enjoyed in The Graces, was the villain, and that was because they were the last person you'd ever expect to be it.

   The Graces was not what I wanted, and did not live up to any of my expectations, although it did make for a good book club discussion book. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a magical read.

   

   Insider among friends:

   The house is the witch.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"I love woods. When you're in them, you feel like the world has disappeared on you. Like you could step into a different reality if you could just find the right path. "

Recommend to People Who Enjoy: 

Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Witches, Magic, Villains

DNF Book Review: This is the Story of You by Beth Kephart

Release Date: April 12th, 2016
Read: April 11th-14th, 2016
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Series: N/A
Format: ARC, 264 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Be First Book Club

Description from GoodReads:

   On Haven, a six-mile long, half-mile-wide stretch of barrier island, Mira Banul and her Year-Rounder friends have proudly risen to every challenge. But when a superstorm defies all predictions and devastates the island, when it strands Mira’s mother and brother on the mainland and upends all logic, nothing will ever be as it was. A stranger appears in the wreck of Mira’s home. A friend obsessed with vanishing is gone. As the mysteries deepen, Mira must find the strength to carry on—to somehow hold her memories in place while learning to trust a radically reinvented future.


   Gripping and poetic, This Is the Story of You is about the beauty of nature and the power of family, about finding hope in the wake of tragedy and recovery in the face of overwhelming loss.

Review:

   The sea comes and the sea goes.
   After reading the description for This is The Story of You I can honestly say that I wasn't all that interested. Because it was April's Be First Book Club book, I decided to give it a try. My first instinct was correct.
   The idea of a hurricane story was interesting, so I held onto that going through the novel. But within the first few pages, I noticed a few things. Kephert likes to describe things by just listing multiple things, over and over. First you'd be talking about bird watching then it would list things until you ended up in a basement. I found this particular descriptive style to be odd, and annoying. But continued on.
   I continued on to about 130 pages, where the story had just started to pick up. Thinking it would get better from there, I continued on once more. 20 pages more and I was still annoyed by Kepharts writing style, and the fact that nothing had really happened yet.
   I DNF'd This is the Story of You at roughly 56%, and will probably not be picking it up again in the future.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Only thing in this world isn't replaceable is people."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Survival, Islands, Hurricanes 

Book Review: Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie

Release Date: March 1st, 2016
Read: March 2nd-9th, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Series: Burning Glass, #1
Format: ARC, 512 pages
Source: Traded

Description from GoodReads:

   Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

   Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, and she can’t always decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.


   As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the charming-yet-volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray

Review:

   I was darkness personified.
   I had heard a few things from bloggers before going into Burning Glass, excitement, etc. But when my friend received the ARC, she told me to stay away from it. Well she wasn't wrong.
   Going into Burning Glass I immediately felt a similarity to Poison Study by Maria V. Synder, this feeling stuck with me throughout the whole book. Then eventually I started to feel another similarity, this time to Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. When I got to that point all I was was bored and annoyed for everything being so similar to the two.
   Along with being annoyed about the similarities, I was also so aggravated when it came to Sonya and the King. Being abusive, annoying and manipulative, I just could not handle Valko. I hope in most cases it was Sonya feeling his "affections" for her that lead her to him, because otherwise I just don't understand what Purdie was thinking.
   Because I could not see Burning Glass as anything other than knock offs of Poison Study and Throne of Glass, I could not enjoy anything from the novel. Saying that, I do not see myself reading anything else from this series, in the future.

Rating:

Favourite Quotes:

"I'm not a mirror. And I don't break like glass."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, War, Magic, Powers

Ohana Talks: Books Read in 2015 but Didn't Get Review.

   Throughout most of the year you see and hear about the books that I've read and reviewed, but you never hear about the book I read and didn't review. So for today, I wanted to highlight some of the other fabulous books that just never got a review! And I must say, there are a lot of them.

The Revenge of Seven by Pittacus Lore 4/5 

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill 4/5

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder 5/5

Shutter by Courtney Alameda 4/5

The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead 5/5

Macbeth by William Shakespeare 3/5

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare 5/5

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 2/5

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3/5

Alienated by Melissa Landers 4/5 

Captive by Aimee Carter 3/5

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake 2/5

Sister's Fate by Jessica Spotswood 3/5

Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre  3/5

Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little  4/5

The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine 3/5

Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong 4/5

The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore 5/5

The Jewel by Amy Ewing 5/5

The White Rose by Amy Ewing 4/5

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin 2/5

   What about the rest of you bloggers or reviewers? Were there any books that you read but didn't review? How long is your list? I'd love to know!

Book Review: Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetto

Release Date: August 26th, 2014
Read: November 7th- 8th, 2015
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Series: The Ghost House Saga, #1
Format: ARC, 320 pages
Source: Gifted

Description from GoodReads:

   After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

   Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

   To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever… and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.

Review:

   The dead never stop envying the living.

   A few years ago I read the Halo Trilogy by Alexandra Adornetto, and I guess you could say I somewhat loved it. So imagine my happiness to hearing about a new series from Adornetto, and it being from HarlequinTeen no less! I requested it, and even won a giveaway for an ARC, even though it never showed up. I was stoked to get my hands on it, that was until I started to hear people's opinions on the book. Everyone was disappointed with it, they said to not bother picking up a copy. So when I finally did get that ARC I was so actively looking for, I just never ended up reading it. Until now that is.

   The first thing I noticed when I started to read the book was how immature the main character was, I just couldn't stand her. She was a shallow, 17 year old that's gotten everything she's ever wanted in life by just asking for it. Normally if the author had actually planned the character this way it would have been fine, but the impression I got from the character was that it was a normal occurrence and how life should be. I was not comfortable with that.
   Then there's the relationship between our main character Chloe and Alex, EW. Honestly, after everything she has learned about him how could she not be creeped out by him? Plus he's dead, why should she go for him when there is a perfectly alive human being who has risked his life for her, right there. I would cringe every time they were together or if Chloe thought of him. Nope, nope, nope.
   Finally, Adornetto's writing, I found it very repetitive. If something would happen, Chloe would always say "I noticed.." It grew quite boring. Then there was the things the characters would say, it was all cringe factor.
   Ghost House was written poorly for me and all the characters made me cringe, but Alexandra Adornetto still had me wanting more of the plot. If for some reason Ghost Hour ends up in my possession then maybe I'll end up reading it, but for now I think it's best if I stayed away from this author.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

   " Where did our loved ones go after death? They didn't go anywhere. They stayed right where you left them, because you carried them with you. They were apart of you, like a tattoo. Trying to forget them was like trying to forget you had legs."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror, Haunted Houses, Ghosts

Book Review: The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Release Date: September 22nd, 2014
Read: September 4th-16th, 2015
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Series: Prisoners of Peace, #1
Format: ARC, 384 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   In the future, the UN has brought back an ancient way to keep the peace. The children of world leaders are held hostage—if a war begins, they pay with their lives.

   Greta is the Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy, a superpower formed of modern-day Canada. She is also a Child of Peace, a hostage held by the de facto ruler of the world, the great Artificial Intelligence, Talis. The hostages are Talis’s strategy to keep the peace: if her country enters a war, Greta dies.

   The system has worked for centuries. Parents don’t want to see their children murdered.

   Greta will be free if she can make it to her eighteenth birthday. Until then she is prepared to die with dignity, if necessary. But everything changes when Elián arrives at the Precepture. He’s a hostage from a new American alliance, and he defies the machines that control every part of their lives—and is severely punished for it. Greta is furious that Elián has disrupted their quiet, structured world. But slowly, his rebellion opens her eyes to the brutality of the rules they live under, and to the subtle resistance of her companions. And Greta discovers her own quiet power.

   Then Elián’s country declares war on Greta’s and invades the prefecture, taking the hostages hostage. Now the great Talis is furious, and coming himself to mete out punishment. Which surely means that Greta and Elián will be killed...unless Greta can think of a way to save them. 

Review:

 
   Why would I come back to you?
   The Scorpion Rules was a present from Simon & Schuster Canada, it was a surprise too! When the ARC along with the fancy honey candle came in the mail I didn't know what to expect because I hadn't heard of the novel before. So to GoodReads I went, and it looked really interesting! Especially since the story takes place in Canada, you don't see that often.
   When I first started reading The Scorpion Rules I thought that it would have a rebellion sort of twist to it. Unfortunately I was wrong and it was political twist. Where anything else would have been fine, I just can't do political, and because the book was completely surrounded in it. I just couldn't enjoy the book because of it.
   Where I didn't enjoy the novel, I did enjoy the character Greta. Strong, learning, willing to sacrifice for the better good. She I did enjoy.
   Even though Erin Bow is a Canadian Author, I probably won't be giving the sequel a chance.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

" All we are is dust in the wind"

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Fantasy, War, Politics, Canada, LGBT

Book Review: Paper Towns by John Green

Release Date: May 19th, 2015
Read: July 21st-29th, 2015
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Series: N/A
Format: Paperback, Movie Tie-In, 336 pages
Source: Bought

Description from GoodReads:

   Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. 

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

Review:

   As long as we don't die, this is gonna be one hell of a story.

   I'm not going to lie, where John Green books may be popular they really aren't for me. His story for The Fault in Our Stars was fabulous, and Looking for Alaska had a very deep topic but I can never really enjoy his characters, they are all the same for me. A boy who is a "nobody" and who is pinning for a hot girl, who apparently is everything. They were never anything special about them.

Paper Towns was not for me, I didn't even enjoy it really. The adventure and clues that were the main story made no sense. I couldn't wait to be done reading it.

   I guess fans of John Green might enjoy Paper Towns, but otherwise I think you'd be better off reading something else. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Maybe all the strings inside him broke." ~ Margo

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, Travel

Book Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Release Date: June 4th, 2013

Read: March 23-27th, 2014

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Series: The Grisha #2

Format: Hardcover, 432 pages

Source: Winnipeg Public Library

Description from GoodReads:

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Review:

Darkness never dies
  Mmmmmmm Nikolai. In this sequel to Shadow and Bone I found myself in the same prodicument as I did in the first novel. There was just too much stuff to wrap my head around. With all the different Grisha jobs, the different powers and finally the different language. I would always find myself with a headache and couldn't enjoy myself.  Even with the headache I very much enjoyed Prince Nikolai, seriously he's my favourite. He's so full of a deeper knowledge, I don't really know what to call it but what he says just always gets to me, and his sass! I can't get enough of it.
  Even though I found that this book was a little too much for me personally to handle and never deeply understood the first two novels in the series I will definitely give the final book in the series, Ruin and Rising a try because seriously? This series really does deserve it.
  Ruin and Rising releases June 17th, 2014 and is the final book in The Grisha Trilogy.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

“The less you say, the more weight your words will carry.” ~Nikolai 

Recommend to People Who Enjoy: 

Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Paranormal, Magic