#122 Amari and the Night Brothers

 Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B Alston 

Release date: 21st January 2021

Genre: Middle grade fantasy

Pages: 416 (UK kindle edition) 

Another @TheWriteReads blog tour, this time its for the wonderful Amari and the Night Brothers. This middlegrade novel follows the story of Amari whos grown up in a disadvantaged neighbourhood in a single parent family, she is also singled out at school for being the only black student. When Amaris brother Quinton goes missing Amari receives a mysterious briefcase with instructions to attend an interview at the elusive Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, Amaris world is turned upside down when she finds out that theres supernatural beings living amongst regular humans. 

Amari is thrust into the world of supernatural affairs which is disguised as a summer leadership camp. She must pick a speciality and go through 3 trials in order to determine her eligibility for that role within the organisation. Her main goal is to get far enough to get enough information to try and find her missing brother. 

The friendships she makes along the way with Elsie her weredragon roommate and Dylan Van Hesling were heartwarming to read about. Elsie is such a kind and understanding friend and she always had Amaris back. Amari's relationship with her brother Quinton was so lovely, a real highlight in the book for me! There are a few trigger warnings for bullying and micro aggressions but nothing too major. Amari as a character is so easy to root for, you immediatley are on her side as shes constantly picked on and has a general hard time of it. I loved how she handled the trials with honesty and integrity- this alone will send such a positive message to younger readers. The trials in general were really fun and fast paced to read, i couldnt put this book down. I dont read too much middle grade but this book really reminded me how wholesome reading it is. Another thing i really enjoyed (amongst the other million things) was how well thought out and imaginative the Bureau was, all the departments were so clever and the social media and tech elements were really well done. 

I wont say too much about the twist as i want to keep this review as spoiler free as possible but i did not see it coming and was so shocked! Brilliant writing and misdirection Mr Alston! 

This book is very reminiscent of the Nevermoor series and also Keepers of the Lost Cities which i loved both of but its also great in its own right. 13 year old Amari is the exact character i would have loved to have read at that age, shes fearless, brave and never gives up. This book is a beautiful story of family, friends and finding where you belong. A massive thank you as always to Dave (@TheWriteReads, netgalley, the publishers Egmont and to the lovely author B.B. Alston who has been so engaging and lovely to his readers on Twitter, the book is a triumph and i am so glad everyone has been enjoying it as much as i did. It truly deserves the hype. The world building was really wonderful, cant wait to see where the next book takes us! 

#121 The Island

 The Island by C.L. Taylor 

Thank you so much to Harper Collins UK Audio and Netgalley for the arc copy of this book that comes out on 21st January 2021. This is my second C.L Taylor book as i also received an arc copy a few months ago of Strangers which i enjoyed. 

This book is marketed as Lost meets The Hunger Games, for me it was more like Lost meets Lord of the Flies/And Then They Were None. When six teenagers jet off to a remote island off the coast of Thailand for a week of surviving off the land tragedy strikes when their 60 something year old guide dies and they are stranded on the island for 7 days. The teenagers comprise of three girls and 3 boys, Danny and his girlfriend Honor, Jefferson, Jessie and siblings Milo and Meg. (sorry if ive spelt any of them wrong, i listened to the audio) 

During the first night the teens are discussing phobias around the campfire, over the coming days the group are targeted by inflicting their phobia on them. The group are unsure if its one of them or an outsider doing this to them. All they know is that they need to survive the seven days and when they dont return they presume their parents will raise the alarm and they will be rescued. 

Ok lets start with the things i liked, i really enjoyed the premise i do like remote island stranded survival stories. I thought there was good back stories for a few of the characters particularly Jessie, Danny and Meg, i would have liked to have seen Jefferson, Milo and Honor having a bit more of a background too. I enjoyed the chapter splits and that it didnt follow all 6 of the teens as that would have been confusing, i also really liked how there were multiple narrators this made it so much easier for me to concentrate on who was who, i really struggle with multiple POV sometimes. 

Things i didnt care for as much: it all seems a bit unrealistic to me, whose parents at that age would let teens wild on a remote island with a randon 60 year old man as a guide and not panic when none of the parents heard from them at all as all of their phones died within the first 24 hours. Unexperiened teens would have been given rigorous survival training before attending something like this surely? I thought the ending was a tiny bit predictable towards the end (i wont say much more than that as i want this to be spolier free but the author gives you too many clues in order for you to work it out) for the first half the author did do a good job of leading you to believe that it could be any of them and subtley gives them all a motive which was interesting.

All in all it was fast paced and a quick read, it only took me a few hours of listening on 1.75 speed. I would read more of C.L Taylors work as shes really up and coming in the thriller world. 

#120 Ready Player Two

 Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline 

Well it finally happened, i got it and i read it even though i was very very afraid. Dont get me wrong i had my issues with it but i can see past those as i had so much fun reading it and it reminded me why the first book is my favourite book of all time and in 2020 (the shittest year that ever has been) i really needed that. Im isolating this week with my toddler as there was a positive case at her nursery so this book came as the most perfect time and i got so lost in the story.

Readey Player Two follows Wade after he won Hallidays contest and inherited his empire. Things arent all rainbows and unicorns for Wade even though he is the owner of the Oasis and has more money than he knows what to do with. His relationship with Samantha has broken down and they are no longer on speaking terms and his friendship with Ogden Morrow the co-creator of the Oasis has also broken down. 

After discovering one of Hallidays inventions that he never released Wade and the rest of the co-owners of the Oasis, Samantha, Aech and Shoto need to vote on whether to make it available to the public. The invention is a headset that allows the user to experience sensations such as touch, smell and taste inside the Oasis. When Samantha is out voted they mass release the headsets and change the way users experience the Oasis forever. When Wade discovered the headset and initially tried it out Halliday had built in software rules that a user can only use the headset for 12 hours and must have a 12 hour break until they can use it again. This is to prevent from any overload happening as the headset is connected directly to the brain.

At the beginning of the story Wade discovers another easter egg hunt left by Halliday. The mystery surrounds seven magical shards related to Kira Morrow that must be found. When years go by (much like the first hunt) without any users finding the first shard, Wade offers a monetary reward for tips that lead him to the first shard. He receives a useful tip that proves useful and is planning how to capture the first shard when suddenly the scoreboard changes and Og has managed to find the first shard. Wade discovers that Og has gone off the grid and fears the worse that something sinister has happened to him. Im not going to say much more than that as i like to keep my book reviews spoiler free but believe me the story really unfolds from there.

The book is jammed pack full of pop culture references even more so that the first book but if you like that sort of thing (which i do) then you'll love this book. All the themes from Ready Player One are prsent in its sequel, relatable yet flawed characters, quests and constant mysteries and above all else the story of friendship. I was dubious i will admit and i didnt like certain elements of it but this book really triggered the same emotions in me that the first book does. I really enjoyed this book and like everyone predicted gave it 5 stars. I dont really think it was needed but im glad it exists. 

#119 Sanctuary

Sanctuary by V.V. James 

I am mortified to admit that this book has been sat on my kindle waiting to be read for over a year! Ive recently (the last month or 2) created a kindle tbr jar which i try to pull at least 2 out a month to try and get some of these books read. I always find with kindle books that they are out of sight out of mind! I have around 50 books on my kindle that need to be read and im making it a goal in 2021 to get that number down by at least half. Right enough rambling, i picked Sanctuary out of the jar early last week and man i was so excited to finally read this one. I dont typically care for 'urban fantasy' type stories but this was was so much more than that!

Sanctuary is a marketed as an adult mystery thriller that has been desribed as Big Little Lies meets The Craft. Its set in a small town in Connecticut where everyone knows everyone. In this world witches live among regular ole humans, they ahve their seperate laws they must abide by and they have their own union if you like that represent the rights of witches (its all very woke and im here for it!). When the star quarterback and much loved teen Daniel Whitman dies at a house party, his ex-girlfriend whos mother is a witch is automatically accused of killing him by witchcraft. 

An out of town detective, Maggie is enlisted to come to Sanctuary to investigate his death. The book has some mixed media which who doesnt love? there are newspaper articles, interview transcripts and tweets which gave this book such a modern feel. It very much read like a crime novel as its so very procedural with Maggie interviewing practically half the town, if you enjoy crime/mystery books then this is very much for you and its very light on the fantasy elements. 

Dan's ex-girlfriend, Harper is such an interesting character. She was raised to take over from her mother Sarah as the town witch. When Harper find out that she doesnt have the gift she very much distances herself from that way of life and doesnt show any further interest in magic. Sarah as a character to me was just perfection, she was so conflicted between keeping her status within the town, being there for her friends but most importantly protecting Harper with every ounce of strength that she had, she was definitely the stand out character to me. I also though Abigail was done really well, she was so believeable as the grieving mother who would do anything to not let people taint the memory of her dead son. 

This book reads as very current, i loved how easily the magic was embedded into the story, it was very light and not in your face with fantasy elements. It was so normalised that i was almost believing that this was a contemporary book. Sarah provides the town with potions for all kinds of ailments from stress, grief to a minor headache, it made for such an interesting read. 

I loved how there was embedded societal issues within this book such as the 'me too' movement and how we shouldnt judge people when we don't know them, it made me fall even more in love with this book. There are so many diverse characters within this story and it was so effortlessly portrayed, usually when books have so many diverse characters it does read as diversity for the sake of diversity but this book is one of the best examples i have read of a truly diverse and normalised community. There was also so many twists within this story and i must admit i thought i had it all worked out when that ending had me speechless with my jaw hitting the floor! It really wasnt predictable at all, it was so tense at points towardsthe end too. Such a great, dark, witchy book! 

#118 The Cousins

 The Cousins by Karen M. McManus 

Ive been a big fan of Karen M McManus for a while and have read all of her other books so i was so stoked when i was given the opportunity to be a part of this blog tour run by @TheWriteReads for her new book The Cousins. 

The Cousins follows the story of the Story family who reside at Gull Cove Island on the East Coast. When the matriarch of the family Mildred invites her three gandchildren whom shes never met to spend the summer working at her resort its too much of a mystery to pass up. The grandchildren Milly, Aubrey and Jonah want to find out what happened many years ago to fracture their family, all they have to go on is that Mildred dis-inherited them by sending a letter stating 'I know what you did'. 

Mildreds children are Adam, Anders, Allison and Archer. Allisons daughter is Milly, Adams daughter is Aubrey and Anders son is Jonah making up the 3 grandchildren/cousins. The family tree is a bit complicated but luckily its included at the beginning of the book, not very handle when its an e-arc as its not that easy to flip back and forth but definitely a nice touch that it was included. 

No one writes a YA mystery like Karen M McManus, her books are all superbly written and The Cousins was no excpetion. It had all the elements of a great book, interesting premise, relatable characters and an intriguing mystery. I was kept on my toes throughout, there was so many twists and turns and i was so engrossed. If life hadnt got in the way then i would have read this in one sitting. There was so many twists that i just didnt see coming, not a single one (which is a bit embarrassing but oh well). I really loved the theme of family and how they can shatter so easily, i applaud McManus for not leaving it as a happy ending which is so customary for YA that eveything is fine and dandy at the end but in this book the siblings are still not harmonious at the end of the story, made it feel a lot more real to me. I also would have enjoyed more of Allison's chapters from the past and a greater look into the childrens relationship with their mother, i did enjoy the brief glimpses into the past that we did get. 

A massive thank you to Penguin Platform, Karen M. McManus, Dave from TheWriteReads and also Netgalley for letting me read one of my most anticipated books of the year early. This book was fast paced, interesting and fun. It reminded me in a way of The Inheritance Games which was another blog tour i was part of last month for TheWriteReadsTours. I really liked the characters of Milly, Aubrey and Jonah but i must admit i did get their parents mixed up especially Archer and Anders. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes books such as The Inheritance Games and A Good Girls to Murder. 

4.5 stars 

#117 Milkman

 Milkman by Anna Burns

Im just going to start by saying this book is such an important piece of literature. Milkman is set in Northern Ireland, its never specifically said but it very obvious from the way it reads. Anna Burns deliberately removed all the place names and the character names so i think if you arent familiar with Irish culture or the area you may struggle a bit with this as it is very typically Irish in the language and slang that is used throughout. The book reads as a dystopian future but in actual fact it is desribing a very realistic version of how things actually are living there (maybe not so much now but in the past, definitely. I grew up in County Down in Northern Ireland for anyone who was wondering). 

The story follows an 18 year old nameless girl growing up in a nameless place. She attracts the attention of an older man referred to as 'Milkman' who is seen as a bit of an icon within the local community. He's known to be very dangerous and everyone in the community fears but respects him. There is a lot of gossip within the area of his interest in this girl. The whole book is centered on these waves of gossip and what is true and untrue.  

Milkman won the Man Booker Prize in 2018 and this was my first experience reading a Man Booker winner. This book is written very oddly, you question what is real and what isnt constantly well at least i did. I can see 100% why people wouldnt get along with this book it reads as a constant stream of consciousness which i didnt mind, if anything i thought it really added to the story. It is confusing in parts and initially i started this book physically but struggled with it as it felt very loopy in the way it would start with one scene but the narrator would get constantly distracted and then you would end up back in the original scene which is fine but very difficult to keep up with physically so i switched to the audio version which was narrated wonderfully.

I did find this to be a bit of a tricky read, it reads as a bit samey in parts and it felt a bit like the film Memento in that i was reading the same thing over and over again but i must admit i did enjoy it. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the writing of this book (google it) which i must admit i dont agree with as you cant put a value on good literature (dont come for me!). 

All in all, i enjoy many parts of this but in terms on enjoyment levels i did really struggle with the looping and never would have been able to read this physically. I fully understand why in won the Man Booker but unfortunately it was only a middle of the road read for me. 

#116 Second Cousin Once Removed

 Second Cousin Once Removed by Kenneth L Toppell

I was asked to be on the blog tour of this book run by Dave (@TheWriteReads) who always does such an amazing job with these tours! Admittedly this book doesnt sound like something i would usually read but given how short it is (232 pages) i thought id give it a whirl.

The story follows Henry, a semi retired lawyer who is a senior partner at Foxglove Associates. Hes not your typical high profile defense lawyer or a district attorney instead Henry works on the boring side of law that no one ver hears much about. (I personally work at a law firm so think im entitled to comment on how mundane his job is haha). When Henry begins researching his family tree and discovers a second cousin that he has never met, he immediatley begins delving into this lost connection to find more information about him. Henry contacts his Uncle Ira to find out more about this cousin, Shelley. When Ira ends up dead and Henry gets a text from Shelley that basically tells him to stop looking Henry fears for his life. 

Henry bumps into a lady at his office called Carolyn and after she mentions Ira's name Henry immediatley becomes suspisious that shes been sent by Shelley or that shes bad news. When he confides in her about what is happening the two set off out of state to evade Shelley whilst continuing their investigation on him. 

My initial impression of Carolyn is that she doesnt make much sense as a character. When she met Henry and he was so elusive yet aggressive towards her why didnt she run for the hills like any other normal person would have? Instead she leaves the state with a man she doesnt even know, cuts all her hair off and agrees to temporarily change her identity. It all felt a bit off to me if im completely honest. 

I found the plot a bit disjointed, both Henry and Carolyn fear for their lives but have no confirmation that Ira is dead or that Shelley is in any way dangerous (these things come much later but it didnt make much sense about how they panicked without knowing all the facts, didnt seem at all rational to me) 

As the story goes on i did grow a bit fond of Henry i must admit and the writing is good i just dont think im the target demographic for this book. It also very American and a bit old fashined with its references, for example, Burt Lancaster (im sorry but who?), Elmer Gantry and 'It Happened One Night'. They all went over my head im afraid and i do think it hindered my enjoyment of the book overall. 

Shelley is a bit of a weird antagonist, i dont think i could take him very seriously with a name like Shelley. I would have liked a bit more of his background and why he was a contract killer etc. 

Overall this wasnt terrible, it just wasnt for me at all. I could see my dad reading and enjoying it a lot more than me which is no fault of the book really.

#115 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab 

My most anticipated book of forever, i feel like ive been waiting and wishing for this book for such a long time. I was gutted that the Waterstones edition sold out so fast so had to pre-order this on amazon as i have no independent book shops near me *cries* and amazon completely messed up my preorder and estimated that i would receive to book in the second week of December. Thankfully my girl Steffi hooked me up with the e-book like the lifesaver that she is.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue follows Addie in France in the 1600's, when she is expected to marry a local widower and help raise his young kids Addie runs into the forest and pleads with the gods to help her to get out of this situation but what she doesnt realise is that the sun is setting and Addie summons the devil instead. She pleads for a life that belongs to no one but herself which he grants but he decieves her, the consequence of the deal she makes means that no one is able to remember her. When Addie meets someone if they leave the room they automatically forget who she is. Addie is also immortal as a result of her deal with the devil and is destined to live a very long and lonely life.

This book is very different from any of VE Schwabs other work (believe me, ive read it all haha) it read more like literary fiction which im typically not drawn towards but honestly this was gorgeous. It was atmospheric and whimsy but so sad at the same time. The book is told in split timelines of past Addie in the 1600's in Villon, France where she lived in a small town with her mother and father and housekeeper and present day 2013-14 with Addie in New York living her day to day life. When one day Addie steals a book from a bookshop she goes back the next day to try to return it only to find that the man working there, Henry remembers her from the previous day. Obviously Addie is immediatley drawn to him as hes the only one in centuries to ever remember who she is. The book is very complex as it delves into Addies situation so deeply, it covers exactly how this deal has affected her. She cant have a job, doesnt have any friends, doesnt have any money or a way of making any and cannot rent somewhere to stay as she is instantly forgettable. My god my whole heart went out to her.

The story really picks up with Addie trying to figure out why after so long Henry seems to be able to remember her. Honestly this plot is so unique. I could sing VE Schwabs praises all day. If you have never read anything by her i implore you to do so (Viscious is a masterpiece) 

Lets discuss the ending (no spoilers). Everyone said that my heart would be ripped out by the end, i sent posts on youtube and twitter of people crying their eyes out by the end. I didnt shed a single solitary tear for this book which im not sure what that says about me, i just didnt find it that sad? I was glad that it didnt end the way i thought but it didnt feel very satisfying either. In the end i decided on a 4 star rating as the book was mesmorising and just stunning but the ending left me feeling a little flat. 

This book reminded me a lot of The Starless Sea, not in plot but definitely in style. Ive also hear it compared to The Shadow of the Wind which i highly agree with too. Overall, i really enjoyed this. A true Schwab masterpiece as always. The only criticism i can muster is that the pacing at times felt a little off but thats only if im really knit-picking. 

#114 The Wolf and the Water

 The Wolf and the Water by Josie Jaffrey

First off a huge thank you to the lovely author for sending me an incribed (my frist ever!) physical arc of this gorgeous book. Which i was delighted to hear was self published as it made me want to support the author by promoting the shit out of this book even more! Admittantly i didnt know much about this story before i agreed to apart of The Write Reads blog tour and was completely sucked in my that amazing cover. I assumed this would be a light hearted YA fantasy read, oh boy was i wrong!

The Wolf and the Water is an ancient greek inspired high fantasy adult novel that follows the story of Kala. Kala is the daughter of Glauks which is one of the ten important houses in this society. When Kalas father dies under suspicious circumstances, Kalas mother Charis is ordered to remarry straight away as is customary in this world that Jaffrey has so wonderfully crafted. When Charis chooses to marry the suitor from Lykos who is a very cruel man Kala immediatley fears for her life. The suitor from Lykos is called Nikos and he has two children, Leon and Eulalia. At the beginning of the story someone tries to poison Kala in the same way her father was murdered which instantly makes her question everyone around her and their motives. 

Kala lives with a disability from a childhood illness and walks with a cane as a result, she has spent the majority of her life being looked down on as vulnerable and weak, she ultimately fears that her new step father will murder her as to not be shamed by her. 

This book has what most adult fantasy lacks, both disability and LGBT rep. I cant really speak for the disability rep but i did like how Kala didnt hide from it and it didnt hold her back from how badass she was in protecting herself and the people she cared about. I really loved the sapphic romance in this book and how both Melissa and Kala were bonded from such a young age, it gave me Priory of the Orange Tree vibes. I wasnt the biggest fan of the relationship with Leon as it all felt a bit sudden, there was no slow burn or build up. They met, spend a fracture of time together and then he is declaring his love her her which also didnt really make sense that he was calling her sister when they first met. It just wasnt overly believeable to me. 

I thought the world building was a little under developed and hope to see more of this in the next book, the world sounds so rich and i really wanted to immerse myself in it. I would also like to see more about the politics of each house and their motivations or desire for power. I would have loved to see more of that and less on the romance side of things. 

Overall this is a really great read, it reads very quick even though the chapters are a little on the long side. Its very reminiscent of early Brandon Sanderson which is what made me fall for it and keep reading. I enjoyed the cliffhanger that this book ended on and it made me very excited to carry on the story. Hoping the next book has an equally gorgeous cover! 

There is a full page of trigger warnings included in the back of the arc so please do check that out before you read it as there are a few triggering themes in this book. 

Please look into this book and support the author:

https://www.josiejaffrey.com/ 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Water-secrets-killing-Deluge-ebook/dp/B08DXXPNS1/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+wolf+and+the+water&qid=1601043981&sr=8-1

Release date: 8th October 2020

#113 Conversations with friends

 Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney 

This is the second book ive read from Sally Rooney and can i just make it known that i feel like she just gets me? Like every word, sentence, paragraph etc feels like its written for me. Ive never felt that way about an authors work even my all time fav authors. I dont know whether its the Irish connection or what but both Normal People and Conversations with Friends spoke with my very soul. Im so annoyed that ive only discovered her work now even though shes been published for a few years. Better late than never, eh?

Conversations with Friends is set in Dublin (where my mum lives, yay!) it follows our main protagonist Francis and her ex-girlfriend/best friend Bobbi. At the beginning of the story Francis and Bobbi meet Melissa and her husband Nick at a spoken word poetry event that Francis and Bobbi were performing at. 

Francis is a twentyone and is studying at Trinity College in Dublin, she has never worked and lives off an allowance from her alcoholic father who she rarely sees. She has a somewhat bizarre relationship with her mother and is all together pretty angsty as a human. Needless to say i absoloutley loved her! 

Melissa is a journalist and Nick is a lesser known actor and they are both in their mid thirties. Melissa invites Francis and Bobbi back to her house after the poetry event for a drink and it all starts from there really. Bobbi becomes a bit obsessed with Melissa and hangs off her every word which leaves Francis in the background and feeling like a bit of a third wheel. As a direct consequence of this Francis takes the opportunity to get to know Nick and forms the same obsession that Bobbi has with Melissa only with Nick. 

I loved the writing style so much, i love how with Normal People this book is so authentically Irish. She uses the same slang and doesnt dumb things down or change things for the non Irish reader. For example she has a meaningless conversation with one of Nicks friends with Francis and he asks her a question about the All Ireland which anyone outside of Ireland probably wouldnt even know what that is (its the final of the Gaelic football) but i just loved that and the whole book just felt like home to me. Another thing i really enjoyed was the endometriosis rep! i was diagnosed with Endometriosis over 18 months ago and have never heard it mentioned in a book before even though quite a lot of women suffer from it so props to Sally Rooney for that! 

I managed to devour this book in under 24 hours, i was so captivated by it. I found it fascinating that Francis was having an affair with Nick whilst hiding it from all of her friends and his wife whilst still hanging out with them all in a group, it made for a fascinating read. The characters are all written to be quite unlikeable but i found that made me more drawn to each of them, they were so flawed and real. 

Dont get me wrong there were a few passages of dialogue in this where i found myself thinking is this necessary to the plot or is this Sally Rooney just trying to sound woke? like there were a few conversations regarding monogamy between Bobbi and Francis that just was so unnecessary really. I was also mostly confused with Francis' and Nicks relationship... like i got the point that he had depression and his wife is a bit up herself and didnt give him much attention but really... what does a twnety one year old have to offer him? He was a somewhat successful actor whos married and owns his own home. His motivations didnt make that much sense really. 

Overall, i did really enjoy this and will subsequently read everything that Sally Rooney ever writes. She has become a new fav of mine from 2020 (thats one good thing to come from the shit show that has been 2020 so far) I have read some of the less than good reviews and i must admit i do get some of their points but books are for enjoyment and i think if you dont read into the sub text of every little thing you are able to enjoy it for what it is. I can see me rereading this one constantly. 

#112 Our Stop

 Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams

Our Stop follows two characters in split chapters, we have Nadia who is successful late 20's lady who works in artifical intellignece. She has her life somewhat together and has set friendships. We also follow Daniel a 30 year old engineer who has just lost his father, he lives with a roomate that he met online and has a few questionable friendship. When Daniel spots Nadia on the tube one morning he leaves the encounter kicking himself that he didnt approach her. He write into the local papers 'missed connections' section in the hope that she will see it and get in touch. 

The book has a few mixed media elements as it shows you the text from the missed connection articles which was a nice touch and i did enjoy the exchanges between them. I also really enjoyed some of the themes that were introduced, there was some really healthy conversations surrounding feminism and supporting women. I also really enjoyed the conversations around the importance of consent and it honestly made me fall in love with Daniel a little bit. Nadia was a really relatable character, she was frazzeled, always running late and she was jealous of her work bestie and non work bestie getting on so well, it just felt like she was a real person to me. She had just come out of a emotional abusive and manipulative relationship and i just rooted for her. I wanted her to meet Daniel (a lot sooner than she bloody did) and fall in love. I really did want a happy ending for both of them. 

I dont usually read romance or contemporary much generally but ive been making an active effort in 2020 to read outside of my comfort zone more. Ok, this is not a straight forward teview to write as this laregly annoyed me but then at the same time it would constantly pull me back in again. The thing that annoyed me was the fact that they kept missing each other, i swear they didnt actually meet until the last 10% of the book. I wanted a bit more from it. I wanted to know more about the beginning of their relationship and yearned for an epilogue that was a 5 years later scenario so that felt pretty disappointing. It just feels like the biggest build up for not too much at the end of it. I would find myself going back and forth constantly with this, almost like every build up to them meeting i would be like yes this is it, its happening! and then it wouldnt happen and it would annoy me. I didnt want to have to read another massive build up for it to crash and burn again, that was my only main criticism. Another huge no no for me is when you have split Nadia chapters and split Danile chapters you dont randomly have 1 chapter (yes just 1) of another characters POV, i was so thrown off by this. I remember thinking i dont care about Eddy and i dont want to hear from him! I have literally no idea why the author did that, seemed very disjointed to me.

Overall this was an ok read for me, i enjoyed bits and others i didnt but i think if you like reading romance then you would enjoy it a lot more as it is very cute. 

#111 These Vengeful Hearts

 These Vengeful Hearts by Katherine Laurin

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers RB media for granting me access to this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

These Vengeful Hearts follows the story of highschooler Ember, star track athlete, model student and captain of the debate team who is destined for great things but all of it is an act to gain entrance to 'The Red Court'. The Red Court is a secret society run within Heller High where members work on a favor based system to take someone down, expose them or ruin their life in return for a favor from the person requesting. When Ember was fourteen her sister was victim to The Red Court and after a terrible accident was left paraplegic. Ember has always sought revenge and wants to join in order to take the organisation down from the inside. The society is run by the elusive 'Queen of Hearts', all requests are approved by her and she is the one who grants favors to serving members. 

The other main characters are April Embers sister, Gideon who is Embers best friend, Hayley who becomes Embers partner in The Red Court and Chase who is Embers love interest. After Ember is accepted into The Red Court she is immediatley send jobs to do but when the jobs involved are surrounding her closest friends she has to evaluate what is more important choosing her friends or keeping up the charade in order to take down the secret society.

Over the last year or two i have really enjoyed some of the dark academia books i have read and its becoming one of my favourite tropes but this one was a bit juvenile for my tastes. it never really felt like the stakes were high enough, i wanted to be on the edge of my seat. Some of the 'take downs' were built up and then felt quite anti climatic. It has an element of Mean Girls to it in the same way that Ember is pretending to be a part of the Red Court but finds herself enjoying some of the jobs shes given which causes her to lose some friends along the way. 

Some of the relevations towards the end were well done and i didnt see them coming. After that point in the story i started to feel for Ember whereas i didnt really before, she just seemed a bit bitter over everything. 

Overall, this was a quick easy read (or listen should i say) the narrator did a great job. I did enjoy it but i wanted it to be darker, creepier and more high stakes. Id still recommend for readers wanting to get into dark academia but more of a YA take on the genre. 

#110 The Inheritance Games

 The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Firstly (as always) a huge thank you to @TheWriteReads for organising yet another amazing blog tour, honestly the amount of work that you put in is astounding and also a huge thank you to penguin, the author Jennifer and of course Netgalley too.

In all honesty i hadnt heard much about The Inheritance Games before agreeing to read it, i was completely won over by the tag line that it was similar to One of Us is Lying which i read last month and adored. The cover is also gorgeous and the premise sounded really unique and fun.

The story revolves around Avery who is your not so average teenager in the fact that her mum died of cancer leaving her in the custody of her not much older than her half sister. Avery's life is turned upside down when she finds out that she has inherited billions from Tobias Hawthorne, a man that she has never met at the same time an entire family has been disinherited and they cannot work out why or who this mysterious girl is. 

One of the stipulations of the will is that Avery must immediately move into the family mansion and live there for a year. She finds that not only do the entire Hawthorne family live in this mansion but that she will have to live alongside Tobias' four grandsons, Grayson, Nash, Jameson and Xander. Each boy was the right amount of broody in his own right but i must admit that i didnt fall for any of them (i think i may be too old for teenage book boyfriends now *cries*) When the will is read each of the boys and Avery receive a letter from their grandfather and immediately work out that there is a riddle to be figured out with Avery at its very centre. Along with the riddle Avery becomes increasingly concerned for her safety living amongst the resentful Hawthornes which made for an edge of your seat mystery read.

I very much enjoyed this book and was glad to see it lived up to all of the early hype surrounding it. The chapters are short (which i loved) and the writing flows well. You cant help but root for Avery who has been plunged into this world with no clue how she fits the puzzle. The ending surprised me as i had a ton of theories but none of them came to anything which is the sign of a great read. I just love it when an ending shocks you. Id be really keen to read anything that Jennifer Lynn Barnes writes next as this was a wonderful read! I highly recommend to anyone who loves a fast paced mystery book. 

#109 The Beast and the Bethany

 The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips

Im back again with yet ANOTHER blog tour organised by @TheWriteReads, im starting to feel well and truly apart of the gang now! 

The Beast and the Bethany follows the story of Ebenezer Tweezer who is a 511 year old bit of an aristocrat who has a love for fancy things. He lives in a grand mansion with the Beast, the Beast is as the name suggests rather beastly, slimy and all together a little gross. Ebenezer sources unusual meals for the Beast and in exchange the Beast conjures up (by vomiting) something that Ebenezer most desires, a potion that keeps him youthful and wrinkle-free. At the beginning of the story the Beast demands that Ebenezer finds a child for him to eat, when Ebenezer refuses the Beast threatens to stop producing the potion that keeps him young, without it he will die. Ebenezer is then faced with an impossible choice to either find a child and feed it to the Beast or die of old age. 

Ebenezer then sets out on a journey to find a child after many hilarious failed attempts he finds himself at a local orphanage to adopt a child. Ebenezer decides to adopt the naughtiest child in order for him not to feel so guilty, he then meets Bethany. Bethany's parents died in a fire when she was a baby and she has been in the orphanage ever since, she has a few failed adoptions under her belt as shes so misbehaved that no one can handle her. Ebenezer decides shes perfect to feed to the Beast.

This story is super fun, a really fast paced read that i couldnt put down! The illustrations are gorgeous and really add to the story, i get disappointed these days when middle grades dont have illustrations. I was delighted when i got to the end and realised that theres a second book coming out in 2021. This is yet another perfect book that i will buy and pass on to my 8 year old niece when shes old enough, im sure she would love it and find Bethany really fun to read about.

My only criticism really is that i would have liked Ebenezer to have been a bit more villainous, i was hoping for a Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events or Gru from Despicable Me vibe. The stakes felt pretty high that he needed that potion and i wanted him to try and trick Bethany a bit more.

Overall i was really impressed with the pacing, there wasnt a dull moment. I am really keen to see what misadventures they get up to in the next book. Thank you very much to Dave (@TheWriteReads), the publishers @egmontbooksuk and to the author for letting us read this book early and review it. Also very excitingly Warner Bros are making this book into a movie!!! Ill leave a link below for more info on that:

https://www.egmontbooks.co.uk/egmonts-the-beast-and-the-bethany-snapped-up-by-warner-bros-and-harry-potter-producer-david-heyman/

Info on the author and illustrator:

Jack Meggitt Phillips is an incredibly exciting new talent. He is an author, scriptwriter and playwright whose work has been performed at The Roundhouse and featured on Radio 4. He is scriptwriter and presenter of The History of Advertising podcast. In his mind, Jack is an enormously talented ballroom dancer, however his enthusiasm far surpasses his actual talent. Jack lives in north London where he spends most of his time drinking peculiar teas and reading PG Wodehouse novels.

Isabelle Follath is an illustrator who has worked in advertising, fashion magazines and book publishing, but her true passion lies in illustrating children’s books. She also loves drinking an alarming amount of coffee, learning new crafts and looking for the perfect greenish-gold colour. Isabellelives in Zurich, Switzerland.

The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips publishes Autumn 2020 in paperback,
£6.99, for beasts of 8-12

#108 The Night Swim

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin 

Thank you to John Karle from St. Martins Press for reaching out and offering a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was once again asked to join in on the blog tour for this amazing book which i leapt at the chance to read it. This book was on my radar for a while as id seen it compared to the true crime podcast 'Serial' which anyone who knows me knows i was utterly entranced by. It started off my love for true crime podcasts so when i saw this book was a fictional take on a true crime podcast story it immediately became one of my most anticipated reads of 2020.

The story follows Rachel Krall who is the creator and presenter of the popular true crime podcast 'Guilty or Not Guilty'. Rachel is in Neapolis, North Carolina investigating and reporting on a rape trial of Kelly and Scott that is at the centre of her third season. We also follow Hannah whose sister Jenny was murdered years previous in the same town. The killer was never found as it was deemed suicide and Hannah has been left with a sense of injustice and the burning desire to find out what really happened to Jenny. Hannah believes that Rachel is the only person who can help her discover the truth and begins sending Rachel messages in the form of letters to try and convince her to take on the case.

My first impressions are that the story has an interesting premise and i really like how theres a split story line with what really happened to Kelly but also what happened 25 years ago to Jenny. It has that small town vibe that it could have been literally anyone and the author does a really good job of weaving through suspects without saying as much. I must say its a little dry at points, as im writing this im currently on 66% and im still waiting for it to become a little more thrilling, so far there hasnt been any twists as you would expect with a thriller but i am enjoying the mystery side of it. I have so many unanswered questions which is making me constantly pick the book back up to find out.

The writing is good, its very to the point and not very descriptive which i like in thrillers. Ive already researched other books by Megan Goldin to pick up after this one as i do like her story telling technique. This is the first thriller ive read that has a focus on a trial and i really enjoyed that side of it, hearing the testimonies and cross examination, it really added to the story and made the reader believe that a crime had taken place. I found Kelly's testimony about the rape difficult to read but it really made me sympathise with her. It felt just like reading a true crime novel. I think the element  enjoyed most was the podcast chapters and think the audiobook would really heighten the readers experience of this book. Overall, the chapter splits were well done and i loved how the chapters werent too long, i always find i read so much more when theres shorter chapters.

Final thoughts upon finishing: so i must say i didnt see that big reveal coming, i had my suspicions but i was wrong! It didnt feel very edge of your seat though is my only criticism, there was never any doubt in my mind that both Rachel and Hannah would be fine, i would have preferred there to have been a bit more at stake i guess. I liked the way it wrapped up and i did enjoy the story overall.

Buy Links:

Macmillan

Books-A-Million

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Social Links:

Author website

Twitter @megangoldin

Facebook

Author Blog

GoodReads

#107 The Ship of Shadows

The Ship of Shadows  by Maria Kuzniar 

The blurb: 'Aleja whiles away her days in her families dusty tavern in Seville, dreaming of distant lands and believing in the kind of magic shes only ever read about in books. After all, shes always been told that girls cant be explorers. But her life is changed forever when adventure comes for her in the form of a fabled vessel known as 'The Ship of Shadows'. Crewed by a band of ruthless women, with cabin walls dripping with secrets, the ship has sailed right out of legend. And it wants Aleja. Once on board its shadowy deck, she begins to realise that the sea holds more secrets than she could have ever imagined. The crew are desperately seeking something, and their path will take them through treacherous waters and force them to confront nightmare creatures and pitch-dark magic. It will take all of Aleja's strength and courage to gain the trust of her fellow pirates- and discover what they are risking everything to find'

I was once again kindly asked by @The_WriteReads to be apart of this amazing blog tour and was very very kindly gifted a physical copy from the wonderful publishers Puffin and Netgalley who also sent me an e-arc. I am super stoked as i have an 8 year old niece that i can pass this book along to, i wish there were more stories like this when i was her age!

Just over a year ago id never read a middle grade book as an adult, it wasnt until i discovered How to train your Gavin on Youtube that i started to take notice of all the amazing middle grade reads and become excited about the stories again.

The Ship of Shadows is a super fun middle grade book featuring an all female pirate crew, a magical ship and a journey to find a lost piece of a map. The story follows Aleja who finds herself in trouble one day and is running away from the possibility of a public lashing when she accidentally runs into a mysterious crew of The Ship of Shadows, they agree to hide her for a few hours but instead set sail from the port with her still on board. The captain wants Aleja to consider becoming a permanent member of the crew so decided to take her along on a mission to recover a missing piece of a map.

This book is jam packed full of magic, mystery and some sea monsters to boot. The story is so endearing and has many elements of bravery and friendship. I loved how each crew member had a special talent that made them unique. The setting was really cool as ive never read a childrens book that was set in Spain and Morocco before, it was all described so richly as well. The writing is just stunning, i cant believe that this is a debut novel.

I can honestly say that i fell in love with the whimsy of it, the descriptions where so well done that i could picture it all so well in my head. Something i really loved that you dont see often in middle grade is that the author didnt shy away from using big words which i loved, middle grade should expand a young persons vocabulary and question what words mean. 

I couldnt have loved this swashbuckling tale of girl power any more! I would love a new book for every piece of the map that the crew need to find please *hint hint* haha. I cannot wait to read this book to my daughter in a few years. The Ship of Shadows has become one of my new favourite middle grade reads up there with Nevermoor and Keeper of the Lost Cities.

Thank you again to Dave, the lovely author Maria who has been so engaging with her readers on Twitter  which has been so lovely and to Puffin books.

A few of the places you can buy this amazing book:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z8NXB49/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780241372920
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ship-of-shadows-maria-kuzniar/1134489553?ean=9780241372920
https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-ship-of-shadows/maria-kuzniar/9780241372913

#106 Outlander

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 

I finally reread this absolute tome (800 pages)! Ive been saying for years that i wanted to reread this and carry on with the series and i finally did it *pats myself on the back* Right, so Outlander was first published in 1991 when i was still in the pram and is the story of Claire and Frank who are newly weds in the 1940's just after the war, they go to Scotland for a second honeymoon to try and rekindle their love after spending the first 7 years of their marriage apart. Claire was trained as a combat nurse whilst Frank is a historian and has a keen interest in ancestry. One night the couple come across a stone circle in a field, Claire has a keen interest in herbal medicine and spies some forget me nots. A few days later Claire returns alone to the stone circle to gather the forget me nots and she is magically transported back in time to the 18th century.

Claire is understandably shocked and terrified, she doesn't understand what has happened or where her husband is. She by chance meets Jamie Frazer and doesnt realise just how much her life is about to change. Claire struggles with trying to adapt whilst also trying to find a way back to Frank. The people of 1700's Scotland realise that there is something not quite right about Claire and she is accused of many things including being a witch and an English spy. The book is basically about Claire's journey as she falls for Jamie but still misses her past life with Frank. She is constantly conflicted between wanting to stay with Jamie and fighting to find a way back to Frank.

The world building is gorgeous. The writing style is really descriptive and rich, it really paints a clear picture for the reader. The characters are all so believable and you do fall head over heels for Jamie, well i did at least!

I am so ready to watch the tv show (purely for the actor who plays Jamie...) and read the other 8!! books in the series. Im really hoping for more of an insight into Frank in the next few books as it would be nice to have more of a love triangle scenario with Claire ultimately having to choose between the two men. Ive also read the novella that comes before Outlander called 'Virgins' which is Jamie's story before he meets Claire, its only around 80 pages and well worth a read. I should also mention that im listening to these books on audio and the narrators are really authentic Scottish and the lady who narrates Claire is obviously English. It really adds to the story and helps to break down the thick Scottish brogue that can make the physical book a bit daunting for some.

#105 Anna K

Anna K by Jenny Lee 

I am going to preface this review by saying that i havent read Anna Karenina. I thought this book would be a light contemporary read. I did not realise what i was about to get in to!

Anna K follows our titular character as she navigates through the New York elite. Everyone is rich, private school educated with more money than sense. The story consists of 17 year old Anna who is in a long term relationship with Alexander. Both families have planned out their futures and they are destined to marry. When Anna becomes tempted by a new, exciting man she must resist the temptation of following her heart. Theres around 6 main characters and it delves into each of their love lives and how they navigate through the issues that they face.

Almost immediately i struggled to keep up with who is who but luckily theres a handy dandy guide at the beginning of the book that gives you a 'whos who', i referred back to this constantly in the first 100 pages so was so glad the author included it.

This book should come with so many trigger warnings, theres frequent drug use, drug overdose, cheating and a few fatalities along the way. It was a lot darker than i presumed and its made me second guess whether i should read Anna Karenina as i bet her life is much more bleak than Anna K's!

My only main gripe with the story was how modern the author tried to make it, the leaked sex tape was too much IMO. On the plus side the book felt like there was something constantly happening which made for an easier, page turning read.

A few stand out characters for me were Lolly and Kimmie, especially towards the end. They both had really good character growth. The majority of the rest of the characters felt a little bland. I would have liked more from Beatrice as she seems interesting. The most annoying character award definitely goes to Eleanor but i see how she was necessary to the plot.

Ive heard that the characters are very true to the originals personalities and that Jenny Lee has managed to inject them into modern characters. I do want to pick up the original just to see how the two compare. What i really enjoyed was how the author injected diversity into the book, Anna and Stephen are bi-racial being half Korean which was interesting to read and theres also a black character called Dustin who is Kimmies love interest, he is adopted into a Jewish family. These subtle changes gave this book the much needed kick into 2020 that was needed.

Now for some spoiler chat: the ending... after everything that happened, all of the heartache that Anna went through the author killed Vronsky off at the end. Im not sure if this is what happens in the original and the author was trying to stay true to it but my god did it feel like she went through everything for nothing. She didnt really seem overly heartbroken by it which i found confusing.

The book is fun and dramatic. Basically like Gossip Girl but in a more drug fuelled, scandalous version. I flew through this book and couldnt stop reading. It flows nicely and like i previously mentioned theres always something happening so the reader is never bored.

#104 City of Brass

City of Brass by SA Chakraborty

City of Brass is a borderline YA/adult fantasy trilogy. Ive heard it described as both adult and YA so im really not sure. It read to me as YA. The book is sent in 18th century Cairo. It follows two main perspectives, Nahri is a con artist who is pretty no nonsense, she comes from nothing but educates herself in the field of medicine and is known as a local healer. Nahri also has the ability to heal herself but keeps this a secret.  Nahri is a thief and a swindler, she is trying to survive on the mean streets of Cairo. Nahri uses her abilities to take advantage of people for money. One day she accidentally summons a djinn. (i hope im spelling everything right as i listened to the audio book and dont have a physical copy) who tells her of this other worldly city called Daevabad and tells her that she is likely to find answers about her elusive past if she travels there. When she summoned this djinn it alerted some not so nice people to her existence and she has to go on the run to get to the city safely. The second perspective is that of the Ali who is the prince of the kingdom of Daevabad. Ali's main story line is the second son of the king so hes not the heir to the throne but there is so much political tension. Ali goes behind his fathers back and uses money from the treasury for things his father wouldnt approve of. His motive in life is trying to provide for those who are less fortunate. Ali struggles with doing the right thing and also being loyal to his family. I must admit i preferred Ali's perspective as it was so much more interesting to read.

This book is difficult to both rate and review. It was a strange read, the first half was so info-dumpy. The build up to the story is so so slow.

Ok, things i liked... The world building was so wonderful, i would say this was the best thing about the book and the thing that really kept me going. The writing is so so rich, i must commend the author on that, it was just stunning. The writing was pretty straight to the point, it was descriptive but not flowery. That alone made me want to pick up the second book. The book is quite political which i usually enjoy, in this book it was quite confusing but so interesting and well laid out. I loved the middle eastern culture and setting to it, ive never read anything like that before.

Things i didnt like as much... The characters were a little generic, Nahri and Ali were pretty one dimensional. Their decision making, influences and motives were very stereotypical YA. This was the main reason why i could rate this higher than 3 stars. I couldnt relate to them and i really didnt care about them whatsoever which is such a shame. There wasnt too much character development throughout (in my opinion). I think the main drive that got me through to the end was the political intrigue, i enjoyed how conflicted Nahri was about both sides and how she was discovering the world, the culture and the people along with the reader. You really dont know who to trust.

I feel so weird writing this review as im making it sound like i didnt like it but i really did. I do want to continue on the series and will be following SA Chakraborty for anything else she writes. I really want to go back and read this physically as i found it was too easy to miss details during the audio book. I want to read all those little details very slowly. If you like Strange the Dreamer i think you would really enjoy this book too, they both have a slow build up but have a great ending.

#103 Crossing In Time

Crossing In Time by D.L. Orton 

I was kindly approached by Noly (@theartsyreader) to take part in a blog tour (my first ever one) run by the lovely Dave (@TheWriteReads) for the sci-fi romance book 'A Crossing in Time', i love sci-fi so i jumped at the chance to read and review this book and for full disclosure i received an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

Summary: 'When offered a one-way trip into the past, Isabel sacrifices everything for a chance to change the rapidly deteriorating present and see her murdered lover one more time. When she arrives twenty years in the past, buck naked and mortally wounded, she has 24 hours to convince a stunned but enraptured nineteen year old to change their future. Definitely easier said than done, as success means losing him to a brainy, smart- mouthed bombshell (her younger self), and thats a heart breaker save the world or not.

A Crossing in Time follows Isabel and Diego predominantly but the book is told in multiple POV which allows for a well rounded view of the story. At the beginning of the story the two per-chance meet and through a series of crazy events become connected. The first 40-50% of the book is a straight up romance novel which i dont typically care for usually although i must admit i did enjoy that it wasn't your typical run of the mill romance and they experienced a lot of hardship during their relationship which makes the reader really root for them.

The sci-fi elements didnt properly kick off until around 60% and at that point i could not put this book down, it was very reminiscent of Blake Crouch's Recursion and had all the same smart science elements that i love. The world is experiencing a pandemic (which i only mention as this can be triggering for some people due to the current state of the world but i must mention this book was written long before this happened so the author is not drawing parallels to our current situation) scientists have found that the only way for the world to be saved is for Isabel to travel back in time to a younger Diego and explain to him how to save the world.

The time travel elements were well written all be it a little confusing at times but i must admit i read from the 60% mark in one sitting, i just needed to know if Isabel was able to save the day or not and what would become of the world if she did or did not succeed. This book has pleasantly surprised me and im so glad i was approached to be a part of this blog tour. I cant wait to read the other books in the trilogy. I have left the links to purchase the book (currently free on kindle) below as well as its goodreads page for more info.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25398303-crossing-in-time

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crossing-Time-Sci-Fi-Story-Between-ebook/dp/B00TL8KXIG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=crossing+in+time&qid=1592163212&sr=8-1

About the author:

DL ORTON, THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the BETWEEN TWO EVILS series, lives in the foothills of the Rockies where she and her husband are raising three boys, a golden retriever, two Siberian cats, and an extremely long-lived Triops.♂‍

In her spare time, she's building a time machine so that someone can go back and do the laundry.

Website: http://www.DLOrton.com.

#102 The Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken 

Here i am reading yet another hyped YA book from 8 years ago, i was never really interested in reading this one when it came out and i know now after having read it that i would have loved it back then. It had that same vibe as many of the original 'YA classics' as i like to call them such as The Hunger Games, Divergent, Throne of Glass etc.

The Darkest Minds follows Ruby when she is 10 years old and epidemic breaks out that affects children aged 7-14. A lot of children didnt survive the virus outbreak but the ones who did were left with abilities. The government steps in and gathers these kids up and brings them to concentration like camps in order to keep the rest of the population safe. They are sorted into colours based on the abilities they have. All the reds and oranges are deemed more dangerous and are round up and shot. Ruby is an orange but lies during the testing and doesnt get found out and is put into the camp. The beginning of this book is a little confusing and takes a while to get going.

This book had a very interesting concept, not completely unique but interesting all the same. It reminded me a lot of Monument 14 (a trilogy i loved back in the day which came out just a few months before this book did) very representative of YA dystopia of that time (2011/2012). The reasoning for my rating of 3 stars is that i enjoyed the story, it was fast paced and interesting but its fall down was the characters, i couldnt connect with any of them really and if i cant connect with them enough to care about them then it just falls flat for me. Ruby was interesting, i enjoyed her internal conflict about her abilities and not wanting to get to people incase she hurt them and/or erased their memory. Liam was very two dimensional stereotypical teen boy in a YA book which centres around a female character, he was too nice and not very realistic, Chubbs was slightly better in the fact that he questioned things constantly, made mistakes and was very teenage like in his decision making. Zu was mildly interesting, i was hoping for more insight into what happened to her and why she didnt speak, this wasnt really explored as much as it could have been. That only leaves Clancy, which i knew from the first page he was introduced that he was bad news, he gave me 'The Governor' from The Walking Dead vibes in that he pretends to be nice and has created a safe haven for everyone when in reality he is an evil dictator who is controlling everyone. I presume that him being evil was meant to be a 'big reveal' which i saw straight through which was a bit disappointing.

The ending was interesting as it ended sort of like a stand alone but some what left open for there to be a sequel, not sure if this was purposeful at the time (i know its now a trilogy) i was very confused by the sequence of events, it sort of takes the whole 'if you love them let them go' a bit far like that scene in HP with Hermione and her parents except Hermione had good reason for doing what she did, Ruby not so much.I dont think ill bother with the second two books just purely based on the characters which is a shame but i do see why so many people enjoy this book. I also wouldnt be opposed to watching the film adaptation for this as i know theres a diverse cast and that sounds pretty cool and worth checking out.