I adore Nicola Yoon. I haven't seen her speak, haven't read or heard any interviews that might shed more light on who she is. But her books speak to me.I think she has a knack for tapping into the core of humanity and writing characters that are easily accessible to readers, dealing with topics that feel real and important. I loved Everything, Everything, even if the disease (SCID) was misrepresented. I think her writing has this unique magic of pulling you in, and so it was the same with The Sun is Also a Star.
The Sun is Also a Star follows two teens who meet on a busy street in New York City, and the one day that they spend together. Daniel is a dreamer, Natasha prefers science. Daniel is determined that fate brought the two together, and that he can make her fall in love with him.
I read Everything, Everything back in February 2017. I remember summer. I miss summer. But anyway, reading this book was such a blur for me, it was so fast-paced and lovely and I just devoured it, and it already seems like this review is going to be a messy and disorganised one, so I shall apologise in advance!
Everything, Everything is about 17-year-old girl Maddy who has never left her home, ever since she was diagnosed with SCID (Severe Combined Immune Deficiency) as a baby. According to the experts, she is essentially allergic to the world. Destined to only see life flicker past in the safety of her bedroom as she looks out the window, Maddy tries to make the most of her situation. Until the cute boy next door starts to notice her, and she realises that the thing she wants the most - love - might very well be the thing that kills her.
Somehow, I knew all along that I would fall in love with this book. An Aussie YA novel about a teen female protagonist with Selective Mutism (SM) and social anxiety struggles to find her ability to speak up? Yes, please! This is the book that I didn't even know that I needed. It was so powerful and raw and inspiring and eye-opening;Fornasier has written an important YA novel that will touch readers and improve their ability to empathise. Social anxiety, and SM, is not something that you can just get over; it's not that easy. This is the first time I've read a story revolving around a girl with SM and I felt like Fornasier really did justice in writing an accurate and sensitive portrayal of it.
Wow. This was such a beautiful story, and I an not ashamed to admit that the ending brought me to tears.
'One' is a young adult novel, written in verse, told in the perspective of conjoined twins, Grace and Tippi. So many thanks goes to Allen and Unwin for the opportunity to read this important book. For the short time I have spent with these characters between the covers I will take to heart the lovely messages and lessons Crossan has imbued in me with her storytelling. For me this is such a special book, as are all contemporary/realistic fiction... because it is just about people- their fictionalisation is merely an aside.
Jandy Nelson's debut novel, The Sky is Everywhere,
was one of my absolute favourite debut novels of 2010. Its strong
depiction of the ailing effect of music and love in the midst of a
grieving period in a young teen's life quickly landed the author a place
on my list of authors I will follow no matter what. In that book she
showed a unique sensitivity and delivered a beautifully-woven story that
I could not forget. Her sophomore title, I'll Give You the Sun, surpassed her debut by far.
I cannot even begin to describe how invested I had become with the
story and the characters; everything was so powerful, so emotional, so
beautiful. Contemporary YA will always be my home genre and I think I'll Give You the Sun just confirms to me that Jandy Nelson can do no wrong.
Source: Publisher for review + Bought Genre: YA (14+) - Dystopian
Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity
Book Tunes ♪ x♪
My Rating:
Mindblowing
My thoughts
Warning! Spoilers if you have not read The 5th Wave! THAT ENDING.
WHAT EVEN HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK?!?!?! I STILL HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. I finished this book whilst on night shift at the hospital and I was just gaping from ear to ear, thinking that there must be more, that Yancey couldn't have ended the book like that. But he did, and now I--we--have to wait for the next installment... it's going to be excruciatingly painful and long. I hope it will be more than worth it.
This book wasn't even on my radar until Nomes reviewed it. And Wendy. So of course it was then that I requested the book on Netgalley. Just when I was about to prepare myself to start reading it I received a physical copy for review in the mail. How’s that for timing?
I’m going along with the hype train: this book is GOOD.
Scarlet is the second book in the scifi-fantasy Lunar Chronicles quartet by emerging author Marissa Meyer. This book follows both Cinder and Scarlet as their perilous adventures eventually lead them to finding and helping each other. Queen Levana’s army is growing ever stronger and the fate of Earth rests with a group of misfits—an estranged Lunar princess; a prison-break captain; a red-headed teenage girl, whose best friend might just be her gun; and finally, Wolf.
Following Ruta Sepetys’ debut Between Shades of GreyI was expecting something raw and powerful, a book that, once I’d finished reading the last page I’d feel like my life had been irrevocably changed for ever. It’s such a pleasure when expectations are met with reality which is the case here. Out of the Easy is extremely different to Sepetys’ debut novel, but one major similarity shines through—there is a bleak tone to the novel and yet there resonates a promise of hope.
Quite a substantial amount of time has passed since I read Legend. I did read a recap of it and while I think it did help reorient myself into Lu's imagined world, it's definitely not necessary. Sometimes it's just better to jump right on in and I think I would have been perfectly fine had I done so. Marie Lu doesn't beat you over the head with the happenings of the previous book, but rather subtly eases you back into her story. In no time at all I was reminded of all the things I adored in Legend and I was, quite simply, hooked.
(#1, Falling Kingdoms) Falling Kingdoms| Rebel Spring
Author: Morgan Rhodes (Michelle Rowen)
Publication(dd/mm/yyyy): 03/01/2013
Publisher: Penguin (Australia)
Pages: 412
Source: For review
Violence| Sexual Content | Profanity
My Rating:
My thoughts
[Note: this is just my opinion. It seems I'm in the minority with this one, as there are lots of people raving about it but I just didn't buy into it all. If you're looking for more positive reviews, check out the links at the bottom of this post.]
When I first heard about Falling Kingdoms I was so excited. Good high-fantasy is rare in YA so I've always got my high-fantasy radar on. Although Rhodes' debut novel didn't exactly live up to my expectations it was a fast-paced, compulsive read and a solid examination of the consequences of war and greed, love and vengeance.
(#1, The Cahill Witch Chronicles) Born Wicked | Star Cursed Author: Jessica Spotswood
Publication(dd/mm/yyyy): 25/01/2012
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 330
Source: For review
Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity
My Rating:
Satisfying Read
Summary:
Our mother was a witch too, but she hid it better.
I miss her.
To me, the magic feels like a curse. According to the Brothers, it’s devil-sent. Women who can do magic-they’re either mad or wicked. So I will do everything in my power to protect myself and my sisters. Even if it means giving up my life—and my true love.
Because if the Brothers discover our secret, we’re destined for the asylum, or prison... or death.
The Review:
(This is another short review. I did make notes on this one, but nothing much more than a few dot points.)
Jessica Spotswood delivers a beautiful paranormal-historical story that is, at its heart, about sisterhood. While the story moved at an alarmingly slow pace, I adored the protagonist Cate's devotion to her sisters in a time of peril, for they are witches. Once the main plot points are finally met, it will be a rush to the finish to find out where this leaves the sisters.
(#2, Across the Universe) Across the Universe | A Million Suns Author: Beth Revis
Publication(dd/mm/yyyy): 10/01/2012
Publisher: Penguin (Razobill) Pages: 385
Source: Bought Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity
My Rating:
Perfection!
Summary (Spoilers if you have not read Across the Universe):
Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. It’s been three months. In that time, Amy has learned to hide who she is. Elder is trying to be the leader he’s always wanted to be. But as the ship gets more and more out of control, only one thing is certain: They have to get off the ship.
My thoughts:
The story continues with A Million Suns! There are even more secrets that are brought to the fore - all of them shocking and will leave you wanting more. Revis continues to encapsulate perfectly the stifling environment of Godspeed, but it is even more amplified due to the new leadership. Elder is now the Eldest of the ship and he has taken all the ship's inhabitants off the med patches that controlled them, which means that the people now see all that they'd been blind to previously, like Amy and her red hair, as well as the now-uselessness of the Eldest system...
* check out the "extras" section for giveaways! * Title: Cinder {goodreads}
Authors: Marissa Meyer
Publication(dd/mm/yyyy): 29/12/2011
Publisher: Penguin UK: Puffin RRP: $16.95
Source: Publisher sent for review Precautions:11+ - Mild violence/death Series: #1 in the Lunar Chronicles
Pages: 370
My Rating:
Good read
Summary:
(From AU/UK pb)
A forbidden romance.
A deadly plague.
Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . .
CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.
Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future. Is she brave enough, and strong enough, to help save everything?
My thoughts:
~ Final thoughts ~
Cinder is a grippngly intense sci-fi/dystopian reimagining of the well-known Cinderella fairytale. It's got the basics that make the ever-popular fairytale, but Meyer has cleverly turned it on its head.
Cinderella-'Cinder'-is a cyborg and a talented mechanic, whose prince charming is charming indeed; whose community is riddled with a deadly plague, as well as ongoing threats of war against the Lunars; whose identity is a complete mystery. And it is her true identity that may just be the savior of New Beijing and the world as they all know it.
All in all, CINDER is not to be missed! The first book in the Lunar Chronicles isaction-packed and full of interesting ideas with an ending that will leave you wanting more.
~ MY THOUGHTS (in full)~
If I do have children (if the Big Guy doth let it be so), and more specifically a daughter, this would be the type of book I'd love for her to indulge in. It's got so much appeal to girls, but Meyer's 'version' is much grittier and fantastical, with a heroine that kicks butt!
Cinder has great talent and inner-strength that shines through and through. Not even that--she's different in a way that makes her instantly exiled and unpopular, and while she never completely embraces these differences, readers will be able to sympathise with her insecurities.
Prince Kai is kind of your average pretty-boy Prince Charming. He's got the easygoing attitude and he and Cinder share similar ideals about the world. Even in the face of adversity, he tries his best to stand his ground. Readers will be sure to fall for Iko, Cinder's android buddy, and Peony, Cinder's (nice) stepsister--but you'll wish you hadn't after the events that unfold.
What also sprung out at me was the whole backstory with the Lunars and the New Beijing Commonwealth society. If you thought that cyborgs and androids in a Cinderella re-imagining was far-fetched, you'll be even more blown away when you are introduced to the Lunars. They're, quite literally, out of this world and insane!
Of course there is a romance between Prince Kai and Cinder, but there are barriers that disable them to be together. I'm totally rooting for them though! Even from chapter one I wanted them to end up together because they're just so cute, and two is better than one. :P
What didn't agree with me was the fact that I was able to guess a lot of the [ZING!] moments due to its predictability leading up to a moment. Also, the ending just left me with a strange feeling ... like it's unfinished and there's meant to be a special chapter latched on at the end. There is a sense of oncoming action and struggle, but we only get to see the lead-up to it, which is frustrating since we have to wait another year to find out what happens next!
The third person narrative worked fine enough, and I was able to feel Cinder's thoughts and feelings with ease. It took a couple of chapters to get the hang of the writing style.
Quotes:
* from the UK ARC and may differ to the final version
First lines
"The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle. Her knuckles ached from forcing the screwdriver into the joint as she struggled to loosen the screw one gritting twist after another. By the time it was extracted far enough for her to wrench free with her prosthetic steel hand, the hairline threads had been stripped clean.
Favourites
(Peony will be joining Cinder and Iko as they go to the junkyard looking for machine parts)
"Reaching out, Cinder pulled her [Peony] back. "Careful, your dress." Peony surveyed her skirt, then the grime-covered shelves, then waved Cinder's concerns away. "Really, can I [come]? Sounds exciting."
"It sounds dirty and stinky," said Iko.
"How would you know?" said Cinder. "You don't have scent receptors."
"I have a fantastic imagination."
Alpha Reader: 4/5 stars {
