Review: One Tiny Lie by K.A Tucker

One Tiny Lie by K.A Tucker (Ten Tiny Breaths, book 2)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Source: Borrowed from the library

Synopsis from Goodreads:Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would...and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

One Tiny Lie is a contemporary novel and kind of a sequel to Ten Tiny Breaths set a few years after the first book and focusing on Kacey's younger sister Livvie. But it could easily be read as a standalone novel as well. 

I so expected more from this book. I absolutely loved Ten Tiny Breaths and expected more of the same from One Tiny Lie. In the first book Kacey was so damaged and hurt, and seeing her recovery among all these great new characters, made for such a great story- so moving and unique.

In One Tiny Lie, Livvie is not damaged. At least I didn't think so. She is a nice respectable girl who wants to study hard, make the most of university and become a doctor. But APPARENTLY (and this was news to me) unless you are out getting drunk every weekend, getting random tattoos and waking up with strange men in the morning with no memory at all of the night before- then you are not actually really LIVING. At least that is what her big sister, her roommate and her PSYCHIATRIST all think. The attitude of the characters and the way they kept pressuring Livvie didn't resonate with me, and that was a major dampener in my enjoyment of this book.

Livvie meets Ashton at a party when he assaults her. Again, that to me is not the foundation for a true and lasting relationship. I couldn't stand Ashton and just kept thinking "she's not... is she?" But gosh-darn-it he's just so freaking HOT that Livvie can't stop thinking about him.

Bleurgh.

When Livvie starts dating a very nice guy Connor I HOPED that she would do the right thing, but no, gosh-darn-it Ashton is just so freaking HOT, and EVEN THOUGH Ashton has a steady girlfriend and Livvie is seeing nice Connor they still end up cheating on their partners. A lot. 

Bleurgh.

I guess this book just wasn't for me. Look- I even resorted to using caps lock a lot in my review and that never happens! I know that I myself am not 20 anymore but I just didn't connect with the motivations of the characters and their actions. I don't like cheating in relationships,and I thought nice, kind, sensible Livvie would be above it. And there is no come-back or anything from it. People got hurt and to Livvie and Ashton it's like it didn't even matter. I didn't agree with most of what the other characters were saying about Livvie (Her sister and Dr. Stayner). They keep telling her that maybe she doesn't really want to become a doctor, that risks are good... blah blah blah. I just wanted to tell them that she's fine as she is and to leave her alone!

So were there any good points to the book? Well yes. The writing is extremely engaging and I always wanted to keep reading to the end. I actually finished it in only a couple of days because it DID grab my attention. The characters are wonderful and believable- and you can really picture yourself there beside Livvie, and with her on this journey. I really felt it and felt like I knew these people. And talking of the characters I loved Livvie's roommate Reagan, and the young boys on the cancer ward that Livvie volunteers for. 

I would say overall that this is a good book but maybe not completely my cup of tea.

Review: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine's, book 2)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source: From publisher

Synopsis from Amazon:Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was the surprise best seller of 2011--an unprecedented mix of YA fantasy and vintage photography that enthralled readers and critics alike. Publishers Weekly called it "an enjoyable, eccentric read, distinguished by well-developed characters, a believable Welsh setting, and some very creepy monsters." 

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine's island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises. 
Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

Reading this book is like falling down the rabbit hole- that sort of feeling that while you're lost in the world of this book ANYTHING can happen. And with talking dogs, time loops, peculiar children with special powers, and bedtime stories that come true, anything really can happen.

I love these books. Hollow Children is exciting, sweet, thrilling and mystical, and great fun as well.

It's so different from other books because you know that the strange and intriguing photographs scattered throughout the pages not only illustrate a concept in the story, but are also real genuine interesting looking old photographs that the author has collected and is generating a story around. It is a very unique and interesting way to read a book.

In Hollow Children we are off of the island of Cairnholm, and see a wider picture of the different loops and different groups. I love that there is travel involved in this book, making it different from the closed setting of the first book, and it feels like a real old-fashioned adventure. The children are on a quest, but also on the run, and could be found or captured at any time- so there is also a real feeling of menace at times running through the book.

With Miss Peregrine stuck in bird form, Wights and Hollows chasing them at every turn and the children following sparse clues and gut feeling, their adventure really is moment to moment, and feels like a dramatic race against the clock. Whether stranded at sea, captured by gypsies, losing their money, or escaping the bombs falling in wartime London, each new experience is a trial to be got through, while figuring out what to do next.

Because Jacob has gone back into the past to the setting of 1940s England, you get a real feeling of nostalgia, and it helps that Riggs writing is very atmospheric. He really brings the book to life, and at times you can almost imagine it as a screenplay. It feels very vivid and easy to picture (even without the addition of the photographs!).

The group of characters really complement each other nicely. Their personalities and unique powers all come in useful at different points in the story, so that everyone in the whole collective is as important as the other. Different skills are needed in different situations. And their banter and quirkiness makes for a very fun read as well. They really are their own little family and are both very supportive and protective of each other, but also very quick to criticise and tease in the way that all brothers and sisters do. But I really enjoyed the conversation between them.

It's a sweet book and clever and thrilling at the same time. Hollow Children is of course an absolute must-read for fans of Miss Peregrine's, and as a sequel it doesn't disappoint, but is as fun and engaging as the first book.

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You can read my 2012 Q and A with author Ransom Riggs here

Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, book 3)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source: Borrowed from library

Synopsis from Goodreads:By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy. 

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

I love, love LOVE these books and I feel bereft and a little devastated that the series has ended! I so badly want Eretz to be real! I absolutely love this world and these characters- they have captured my heart and finishing this book is like saying goodbye to old friends. 

The whole series has been phenomenal- the writing is consistently so beautiful and lyrical, and the worlds described are so vivid. I adore the characters, especially Zuzana and Mik who add a quirky sense of fun to a situation, even in the midst of a devastating war. And Karou and Akiva are a modern day Romeo and Juliet (but better!). Plus, it's just a great story, brilliantly told. 

I would thrust these books into the hands of anyone who loves fantasy or fairytales, anyone who loves a good tale of good versus evil, wonderful characters and vivid characters. As I was reading I knew that this book had the potential to break my heart- I was fervently hoping for a nice ending, and that after all they have fought for and gone through, that Karou and Akiva would get their moment. It is a tense, thrilling, desperate read the whole way through!

I don't want to post any spoilers so I will just say that I loved this book! It's a beautiful book and one that I will re-read again. A war between Angels and Chimaera, unlikely alliances, unexpected betrayals, romance, despair, and all the emotions and drama in between- if that can't get you to read this series I don't know what will! If you've read it already you'll know why I'm fangirling so much, if you haven't read it yet- what are you waiting for?!

Review: A Whisper in Time by Elizabeth Langston

A Whisper in Time by Elizabeth Langston (Whisper Falls, book 2)

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Source: Review copy thanks to the publisher and Netgalley 

Synopsis from Goodreads:
I have never been useless in my life.

Rescued from a life of servitude by the boy she loves, Susanna Marsh escapes across two centuries, only to be plunged into a world she's ill-prepared to face. Unable to work or go to school, Susanna finds herself dependent on others to survive. 

Immersed in the fun and demands of his senior year of high school, Mark Lewis longs to share his world with the girl who's captured his heart. But first he must tackle government bureaucracy to prove Susanna's identity. 

Overwhelmed by her new home, Susanna seeks refuge in history and in news of the people she left behind. But when she learns that danger stalks her sister, Susanna must weigh whether to risk her own future in order to save Phoebe's happiness.

So this is the second book in the series. The first book could have ended well as it did, with Susanna crossing the portal into the 21st century permanently to escape from her vicious master, into a new life with Mark. However, it did leave me wanting more, and wondering "Well, what happens next?". This question is answered with this book where we see Susanna struggling to get to grips with life in the 21st century, discovering how much the world has changed socially, catching up on American history, and learning all the new technology. 

She battles with trying to get identification and a job, needing to useful and struggling with the idea of being a burden to Mark's family. She is nervous of meeting Mark's friends or of being in large crowds, and worries that eventually Mark will get bored of her. And as Mark goes through his final year of High School, wanting to go out with his friends and thinking of College and his future it seems as though there are many obstacles in their path. I loved seeing Susannah adapt to, and battle with elements of her new life, and it's very interesting to imagine being faced with everything in modern America seen through the eyes of someone raised in the 17th Century. 

Although Susanna is resigned to life in her new world and happy, she is still full of curiosity about the family she left behind, and what happened to them. And with the power of being able to look back into history through public records, Susanna is faced with the knowledge of tragedy in her sister's past, and the question of whether or not she can (or should) go back and try to change her sister's fate...

I do have some issues with time travel books and timelines, and the idea of going back into the past to change the present. As I started to try and get my head around future Susanna learning about her sister's accident, and going back in time to alter the course of events, I started to think about how she wouldn't have gone back if Phoebe's accident hadn't happened, so therefore Susanna's interference wouldn't have happened... (a kind of chicken and egg cycle) round and round, until my brain started to hurt! And how changing one thing might have potentially altered many things... people she met, who she married, children she had etc. Would she not have risked totally altering the future? Yeah, it got me thinking and confused!

There also seemed to be some kind of sub-plots going on with Mark's friend Gabrielle, and also with Mark's sister and her loser partner, and then neither of those tangents ever went anywhere, so I don't know what that was about (unless all is revealed in book 3?)

All in all, I did enjoy this book. I like Mark and Susanna as characters, and the whole idea of 17th Century Susanna learning to adapt to a new life in the present day is very cool. There are nice tender moments between them, in between all the drama and worries. It is a nice easy read, with plenty of history and and an engaging plotline.

Review: Whisper Falls by Elizabeth Langston

Whisper Falls by Elizabeth Langston

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Source: Review copy thanks to the publisher and Netgalley 

Synopsis from Goodreads:
While training for a mountain bike race, high-school senior Mark Lewis spots a mysterious girl dressed in odd clothing, standing behind a waterfall in the woods near his North Carolina home. When she comments on the strange machine that he rides, he suspects something isn’t right. When Susanna claims to be an indentured servant from 1796, he wonders if she's crazy. Yet he feels compelled to find out more.

Mark enters a ‘long-distance’ relationship with Susanna through the shimmering--and temperamental--barrier of Whisper Falls. Curious about her world, Mark combs through history to learn about the brutal life she's trapped in. But knowledge can be dangerous. Soon he must choose between the risk of changing history or dooming the girl he can't stop thinking about to a lifetime of misery.

Whisper Falls is exactly the kind of book that can be summed up by the picture on the cover. It looks like what is- a love story about a Seventeenth Century maid and a modern day guy meeting through the power of a magical waterfall. I loved the sound of it when I first heard about it and it was on my wishlist to read. I was pretty excited to be able to read it, so went into expecting a nice, romantic read with lots of history and a clash of cultures. 

The story is told from the two points of view of the two main characters- Susannah, an indentured servant, who is pretty badly mis-treated by a cruel and cold master- and Mark, an 18 year old mountain bike enthusiast from the 21st century. I enjoyed the switch in tone between these two, and seeing their worlds in the alternating chapters throughout the book.  

As a character on her own and in her own world I like Susannah a lot. She is very caring and hard-working, she hides forbidden books to read  in secret, and she adores the little children that she cares for and is great with them. She is good, sweet, and smart, and in her place and in the chapters told from her point of view I had no problem with her. 

But when we see her from Mark's chapters she annoyed me. The way she speaks to him comes across as very curt and prissy. I don't know if that is just perspective and that if we met someone from that time period now they would sound the same to us- but when she was talking to Mark she bugged me. 

When they meet there is the inevitable clash of cultures, the language has changed over time- slang words for instance, and the style of dress obviously. But something about the other one resonates with the other. They can talk to each other and they just click. Susannah shares her story and you can't help but feel for her and root for a happy ending for her. Mark becomes very sweet and self-sacrificing to try to help her out as a friend. I enjoyed hating the nasty master Mr Pratt, and hoping he would get his come-uppance!

Overall Whisper Falls is a little bit of a corny predictable read (I don't think it's a spoiler to say that they end up falling in love), but it's also a nice, light, easy read (with a few dark bits that give it an added punch). There is plenty of historical information, romance and drama. It was a fun story and I really enjoyed it. I liked the conclusion of the story, and it could easily end at that point- but it has left me wondering (I suppose as any good book with characters that get under your skin does)- "so what happens to them next"?

Review: The 100 by Kass Morgan

The 100 by Gail Carriger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source: Bought 

Synopsis from Goodreads:
In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.

Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.

This is probably one of the best books I have read this year- I seriously loved and connected with this story. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. 

I love that feeling when you are reading a book and you are completely immersed in it- you love the characters, you can see the world in your head, and when you stop reading you can't stop thinking about it. Since I finished reading The 100 I have thrust it into at least two people's hands going "you HAVE to read this book!"

THAT'S HOW GOOD IT IS!

So, if I can stop fangirling for a minute and try and explain why I loved it so much...

A lot of people when they hear 'sci-fi' just think aliens and spaceships, and "not a real story", but this book focuses so heavily on the experiences, emotions and lives of this band of fantastic characters that it is easy to believe in, and connect with them. 

It is almost like two stories in one as you have in every chapter the story itself unfolding, and then flashbacks to what happened a year ago, relevant to what is happening in the present. What is very clever about this is not only a gradual unfolding of the complete picture, but you can see how each everything is connected to each other. Each of the character's lives and stories, and all the events are all linked up to one another in very subtle ways, and I loved seeing all the tiny puzzle pieces slowly coming together by the end. 

For me personally I don't think any story is whole without a decent love story within it, and in this book we have at least two really good ones. There are struggles, forgiveness, separations, complications- it is never easy, but it feels real, and you really root for these people.

The society itself is hard and brutal. The main characters are all criminals, but for a lot of them it is a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or just being unlucky. You get the sense immediately that really they are decent people with a good heart, that have just had a tough break. 

You have the guy who's desperate to protect his younger sister; the rich kid who would do anything to look after the girl he accidentally betrayed; the former rich girl prisoner who escapes to find her former love; and the troubled girl who is tormented by the memory of her parent's death. 

The young criminals are sent to try to recolonise a damaged and polluted Earth, being the only members of the population the leaders of the ships are willing to risk attempting to find out if it is safe to live on Earth again after 300 years. It becomes a story of survival, and I loved seeing these youngsters struggle to adapt, survive and learn to work together in the woods on Earth.

But running parallel to these events we also see the events unfolding on the spaceships after the 100 leave, through the eyes of Glass, the only one who managed to escape off the drop ship. The ships themselves are interesting to read about- you have sectors that are like uptown and downtown- the poor side and the rich side, and both have very different motivations. 

It is currently being made into a TV series, and I can't wait to see it converted onto the screen- I think it will translate really well because the book itself is written in a very narrative way. This book is clever, moving, exciting and a constant thrill ride. I cannot wait to watch the show, and I'm keeping a lookout for a follow up book as well. 

This book also won the Best of the Bunch award on the blog for November 

Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Source: Bought hardback and audiobook

Synopsis from Goodreads:
When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

This book blew me away with how emotional it actually is! Its a great story too- thrilling and action-packed, but I mainly loved the bonds between the characters, and the journey they take together. Its a fabulous sci-fi/ superhero journey. A great read- recommended.

Darkest Minds is a brilliantly written, exciting and moving sci-fi story. It's a book about teenagers with superpowers, the rest of the world who are afraid of them and want to contain them, and a world all gone to hell. 

A mutated virus is spreading across the world infecting children, and around age ten either kills them or leaves them with dangerous and strange powers. This is a very pacy book- a real thrill ride- and there is always something going on, the characters escaping capture, or rushing here and there, or just trying to survive. And you are thrown into the middle of the story right from the first page.

What I loved most about it was the depth of the characters and the journey they take together. They all have such a complicated past, and issues. Ruby and the band of misfits that she falls in with- Liam, Chubs and Suzume are a great support to each other, and their skills and characters complement so well. They become like a little family and only trust each other. I liked the "us against them" sense about them- that they would rush in defend each other if necessary. You can't help but become attached to these characters and their quirks as they drive across America searching for answers.

Ruby has spent six years in a rehabilitation camp, so her knowledge of the politics of the world outside is very limited, and we find out everything that is going on with the world as she does. The story is told completely from Ruby's point of view, which I liked, but it still takes a while to understand exactly what she has been through. Her traumatic past is hinted at but not fully explained until later.This is a dark run-down world run by corrupt organisations, and Ruby is only just starting to get to grips with understanding her powers. I enjoyed this slow revealing of the whole story though, and was never left confused.

There is also a love story in this book and it is very sweet. I instantly liked the guy, and the good-hearted way about him. Their romance is slow to develop but had a real substance to it, and it was nice to see the attraction brewing between the two characters even in such extreme circumstances. There are no awkwardly forced conversations, they just fit, and I liked the easiness of the two of them together. He always made me smile, and is one of the bright sparks in a dark book.

Its a dark and gut-wrenching adventurous tale of survival through persecution and desperation. Quite harrowing and violent in parts, it can get quite sinister. The adults are afraid of the teenagers, but with the desperate circumstances and lack of any rules or guidance the kids can turn on each other as well. It's quite a long book and it felt like a heck of a journey that they all went through.

A haunting, emotional and beautiful crafted world and story.  In a YA market saturated with dystopian stories, this is one of the better ones. It definitely stands out from the crowd and offers something a little different.

Review: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source: Bought paperback and audiobook

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up

Tiger Lily is a brilliantly imaginative re-working of the Peter Pan story, showing a love story between Peter and Tiger Lily before Wendy came into the picture, and telling us a different version of the original tale. It focuses on Tiger Lily's life with the tribe, and the links between all the different characters. 

It is also told from Tink the fairy's point of view, as she spies from various perspectives on her favourite personalities like we might watch soap operas unfolding, and this gives a unique edge to the narration. It gives us an insight into different aspects of the island and the characters on it. 

The whole book feels full of magic and possibility, but there are dark patches as well, and it's not a light and easy read. There is a subtle undercurrent of menace all the way through- with the pirates scheming and the murderous mermaids, not to mention Tiger Lily's pending arranged marriage with a nasty brute of a man. I liked the magic and the sense of suspense as we are led through this doomed forbidden romance, and the beautifully and richly described land of Neverland. 

Reading about Captain Hook, the mermaids and Tiger lily, and all these half- remembered characters from my childhood has made me want to re-visit J.M Barrie's original story (or at least watch the Disney film again), as it felt so new and vaguely familiar all at the same time. 

Tiger Lily herself is a feisty and strong young woman- which is not a quality which is admired in her tribe. She gets a reputation for being cursed, and being bad luck (which she plays up by wearing crows feathers in her hair), and although she is independent and brave, she is also very lonely. Normally it takes a lot for her to open her heart up to anybody except her adoptive father, so it takes a while for Peter to break down her barriers. 

Although Peter Pan himself doesn't came out as a very great character in this version of the story, I liked the telling of it, and that the emphasis was on alternative characters. One of my favourite characters has to be Tiger Lily's cross-dressing adoptive father -the shaman of the village Tik Tok. He always made me smile, and I also loved her sweet best friend Pine Sap. His devotion to Tiger Lily is so endearing. I really loved to hate the mean-spirited character of Aunt Fire who seems determined to make Tiger Lily suffer.

All in all, the book is a clever, mesmerising read, and I would describe it as a fantasy story but with the feel of a contemporary. It's moving and sad in places, heart-warming and magical in others, but it has definitely left a stamp on me. It's a bleaker story than I was expecting to read but just beautifully lyrical in the telling, and heart-breakingly tender.

Review: Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source: Bought paperback and audiobook

Synopsis from Goodreads:
It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners—and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, this YA series debut is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail Carriger's legions of fans have come to adore.

This was clever, intricate, and very humourous. It way exceeded all my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed Gail Carriger's other series- the Parasol Protectorate series- and this series is a similar version of that but aimed at younger readers. 

Etiquette and Espionage reminded me a little of the first Harry Potter book- in the same sense of the fabulous world- building, the characterisation, and that excitement of being at a magical school full of possibilities, and learning these strange and fabulous subjects. It is funny and great fun, and there is that expectant feeling that anything can happen. This book oozes with possibilities for the rest of the series. 

Steampunk settings are so cool anyway, but this felt really fantastical, with a floating school, mechanical creatures as pets, werewolf teachers wearing top hats, and a general sense of a much wider political plot. There is that feeling that you are only beginning to scratch the surface of a wider world, and a bigger story. There is a big mystery to solve and the cunning and skill of the first year students is way underestimated by the teachers!

Sophronia as a leading character is adorable. Despite her mother attempting to raise her as a typical Victorian lady, Sophronia is in no way annoying or feeble, but I love her bright, inquisitive, and tomboy-ish characteristics. She is not too stuck-up to make friends and allies anywhere she finds them- even the boiler room of the school/ ship, and her keen eye for observation always picks up on the little details.

One of my favourite aspects of the book is Sophronia's developing friendship with Soap from the boiler room, and her sneaking around to see him. He is quite obviously smitten with her, and I think this will develop as the series goes on (I hope!), as he is very sweet. There is no real romance story in this book (which is fair enough as the MC is only 14), but I like the possibility that the seeds have been planted. 

With plots and schemes afoot at the school, the first-years use their cunning and sneakiness to find out secrets, discover hidden sections of the school and ways to manipulate their teachers and sneak about undetected. It is fabulous that even when they are under attack by flywaymen whilst travelling, they use all the resources available to them to formulate a plan of escape- even if it is only a handkerchief! Sophronia is usually somewhere she shouldn't be, but manages to climb up walls and through pipes to avoid being found out. If that fails she could always use her newly learned skill of eyelash fluttering!

I love the goofy overdone style of writing as well- all the pomp and pretension of Victorian society is charicaturised in the language, and also in the daft names everybody is given- Bumbersnoot, Mrs Barnaclegoose etc. It gives it a very whimical mock-formal tone and you can't help but smirk as you read it. 

This book is great- magical and full of adventure. So funny in parts- but always smart and endearing, I just loved this book, and am looking forward to seeing what kinds of trouble Sophronia and her friends can get up to in their second year at the school!

Review: More Than This by Patrick Ness

More Than This by Patrick Ness

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Source: Library

Synopsis from Goodreads:
From two-time Carnegie Medal winner Patrick Ness comes an enthralling and provocative new novel chronicling the life — or perhaps afterlife — of a teen trapped in a crumbling, abandoned world.

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this. . . .

Well it did it- this book made me cry! And not just a little bit either- proper sobbing!

Wow. 
That is all I can coherently say anyway after reading this. This book is brilliant, ingeniously clever, controversial and weird. 

I have to say I preferred the first part of the story- where we see main character Seth after his suicide living in his own version of Hell, completely isolated and re-living his memories of his life. It's this part that got me the most choked up. Seth's back story, with his broken family, and doomed relationship is incredibly tender and moving, and built Seth up into a character that you feel for and care about.

I don't really know any way to describe this book, other than it is essentially an afterlife/ sci-fi story. What happens after you die, smashed against some rocks in a freezing ocean? Well, in Seth's case it is so strange and unbelievable that it makes you want to keep reading, through all the bizarreness until all the little puzzle pieces start clicking together. 

This is a moving, riveting and life-affirming story, with completely unusual twists and turns that I guarantee that you will not see coming. It's a roller coaster ride of a read and expect your mind to be blown completely with this one. 

I can't say too much without giving things away- all I can say is- it's really, really good. Read it. 

Review: Weather Witch by Shannon Delany

Weather Witch by Shannon Delany
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars




Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Synopsis from Goodreads:
In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!

Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!

But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.

This story is set in an alternate version of 1844 Philadelphia, where steam power has been rejected in favour of harnessing the power of witches. It's a very unique and magical ride, and I really liked the witch-hunt idea turned into using them as a source of power. Families reputations could go down depending on whether magic (*gasp*) is found in a family member.

The bad points
I thought that the book had a fantastic concept but I would've liked a little bit more explanation and world-building, as the reader is just dropped in the middle of events in this unfamiliar setting, and I spent a large portion of the book feeling very confused and trying to work out what was happening and who everybody was.

I would have liked a little more explanation, especially with the unfamiliar terminology. Bran is a Maker- but I couldn't tell you what this really means. We are told that Jordan is Fifth of the Nine which is important, but I'm not sure why, and there are sea monsters called merrows which are introduced as a threat part-way through the story and then disappear.

There are also multiple Points of View which took a bit of getting used to as well. This made the story even more confusing to me, as it often felt very disjointed. I never really felt any attachment to any of the characters either. In terms of character development I just never felt like I got to really know and understand any of them because the story jumped around too much.

The good points
What I did like however, was the magic and the mystery in a uniquely almost-fantasy historical setting.  Any books about witches I'm pretty guaranteed to read, as I love the idea of people with special powers and that sense that anything can happen. And this book mixes magic and an alternate vision of the past with an underlying sense of mystery very well. You get the impression that things aren't what they seem, so you want to keep reading to find out the truth.

Main character Jordan goes through such an emotional journey throughout the book- from spoilt rich girl, obnoxious and privileged and superior, to defiant prisoner- and I grew to really admire her bravery. Many of the characters seem such a mystery, but I also grew to like Rowan, who in a very gentlemanly way journeys out to prove Jordan's innocence, and his flawed rescue mission is very endearing. I even rooted for initial bad-guy Bran, whose character alters for the better when he discovers he has a little daughter. It was these little details that helped give the characters that humanity and made everything have a purpose. Parts of the book are very sweet.

Overall
Part steampunk, part witches, part historical, part fantasy, Weather Witch has a bit of everything! The ending of this book never completely explains everything or is properly resolved. Nothing is wrapped up at the end which leads me to believe that this is only the first installment in a wider story still to be unravelled.

Magical, atmospheric, and very fresh and different I'd recommend this one to fans of the paranormal, or historical fantasy.