[Review] The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan

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Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 05/01/2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury UK

Pages: 240

Source: Library

Genre: YA {Contemporary | Verse}

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes

♪ Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek (Live) ♪

My Rating

3.5/5 stars

My thoughts

I adore Sarah Crossan and I think she is an amazing person. Meeting her last month at Sydney Writer's Fest reminded me that I needed to read her older books, namely The Weight of Water which she mentioned she drew slightly subconscious inspiration from her own childhood and upbringing. She had imagined this shabby one-room apartment in which her protagonist would live in this story, vivid as if she had lived there herself - until she realised that in fact, she had (but she had blocked out the memories)! And I think that's really amazing! Writing really is the truest, purest form of therapy and self-realisation.

[Review + Giveaway] Queen of Shadows (#4) by Sarah J. Maas

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Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 01/09/2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 645

Source: Bought
Genre: YA - Fantasy (14+)

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes
♪ Ginny Blackmore - Holding You ♪
♪ Christina Perri - Human ♪
♪ Björk - Army of Me (Remix) ♪

My Rating: 

Gripping, emotional, edge-of-your-seat read

My thoughts

Sarah J. Maas never fails to amaze me with her gripping storytelling - one of such rarity, managing to captivate me time and time again with bone-chilling, edge-of-your-seat, tantalisingly glorious twists and turns, and unfaltering writing style. 
Her heightened ability to create characters that stick, cling and crawl under one's skin seems to be a weapon of its own. I cannot, will not manage ever to remove Aelin nor Aedion nor Rowan nor Chaol nor Dorian nor Nehemia nor Sam, out of my heart and mind. I know I am not alone in this, a reader whose connection to the characters found in a book made profound, palpable and real and lovely... For me it is something I cannot find often in tv or movies. As a sequel, the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series, it stands triumphant. I am still reeling from the experience, excited for the day to come when my real life friends to whom I've recommended this series get around to reading this so they too can engage and fall in love with the characters, the writing and the author as much as I have.

[Review + Movie] Paper Towns by John Green

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 01/10/2008

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 305

Source: Gift (Box Set)
Genre: YA - Contemporary (14+)

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes
♪ Slash - Gotten (feat. Adam Levine) ♪

My Rating: 

Solid read

My thoughts

The Book

I go in writing this book review with anxiety, because it is another case where I didn't actually write any notes so I'm just going to write off the top of my head, which also means I'll be pulling things out of my ass. But. Luckily I did discuss this book out loud and over text message so I've at least got my feelings sorted out. It's just a matter of getting it all out in a fairly comprehensible way...

[Review] A Court of Thorns and Roses (#1) by Sarah J. Maas

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(#1, A Court of Thorns and Roses)

A Court of Thorns and Roses | Untitled

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 05/05/2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 419

Source: Bought
Genre: YA - fantasy (16+)

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes
♪ Major Lazer - Powerful (feat. Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley) ♪

My Rating:

Tantalisingly swoonworthy

My thoughts

How do I express exactly what and how I feel for this book? Okay, let's start with this simple and undeniable fact: I am a huge fan of Sarah J. Maas' books. I think her storytelling is on point, her writing style is lovely and eloquent and effective, her use of dialogue, tension, suspense, conflict and astute development of her characters just work perfectly together, grabs me in the heart every single time, leaving me gasping, emotionally spent from the experience. Her grasp on the human condition translates perfectly into her heroines. I loved Celaena's (Throne of Glass series) rough edges, her will to live above all else and her vulnerabilities. I absolutely love that she empowers her female characters, gives them roles that matter and feel real and they are never the same as when we first met them. That is the mark that a truly magical thing has taken place in your story: your characters have undergone irrevocable changes. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a loose fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast involving an ancient war between faeries and humans. It is a heart-wrenching story about love, family, survival, power and humanity. It follows 19-year-old Feyre’s journey as she is plucked from her miserable impoverished home in the mortal lands after she plunges an ash arrow into a wolf during one of her hunts, not knowing that it was actually a faerie. Unknowingly she has broken an age-old vow made between the two, but instead of killing her there and then Tamlin, an influential and powerful faerie, has decided to take her into the Faerie Realms, into the Spring Court where he resides. There Feyre learns more about the war and her sort-of captors, and finds out there is more to Tamlin than he’s letting on… and maybe she holds the key to saving her family from devastation.

[Review] Poppy in the Field (#2) by Mary Hooper

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(#2, Poppy in the Field)

Poppy | Poppy in the Field

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 07/05/2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 288

Source: Review
Genre: YA (14+) - Historical fiction

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes
♪ Rachel Platten - Fight Song ♪

My Rating: 

Awe-inspiring

My thoughts

Poppy in the Field is a continuation of Poppy by Mary Hooper. As the title suggests, we, once again, follow the hopeful young VAD Poppy who decides to apply for a position at a base hospital in France in the wake of turbulent heartbreak that has come with the recent news of her love Freddie's marriage to a sophisticated debutante.

Hooper has evidently done extensive research and in amongst the pages there is ample amount of descriptive detail that places you right in the time period. From the character portrayals to the world building to the language used, Hooper excels at creating the right environment in her writing.

[Review] Heir of Fire (#3) by Sarah J. Maas

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(#3, Throne of Glass)

The Assassin's Blade | Throne of Glass | Crown of Midnight | Heir of Fire | Untitled

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 11/09/2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 560

Source: Bought
Genre: YA (16+) - Fantasy

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes
♪ Evanescence - Bring Me To Life ♪

My Rating: 

THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING!!!

My thoughts

Warning! Spoilers if you have not read Crown of Midnight!

This book. Man, this book was DEEP. Maas pulls so many powerful punches in Heir of Fire; without question, even more than she did in Crown of Midnight (and that's saying something because that book was flipping intense!). I feel so strongly about this book, and my thoughts are kind of all over the place, so I'm glad that I did write notes right after I finished reading it initially. I've since read another book in between to try and gather my thoughts, but still I don't know.

[Review] Crown of Midnight (#2) by Sarah J. Maas

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 (#2, Throne of Glass)

The Assassin's Blade | Throne of Glass | Crown of Midnight | Heir of Fire | Untitled

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 15/08/2013

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 353

Source: Publisher for review
Genre: YA (14+) - Fantasy

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes

♪ Evanescence - Lacrymosa ♪

My Rating: 

Kick-ass!

My thoughts

*sigh* This is the second time I'm writing this review. I accidentally copy and pasted right over my entire review like 10 minutes after I finished it. :( I was legit about to go on hiatus, because I was that frustrated. Anyway. Hope this review is at least half as good as the first time around. I will be writing this in the same format as I did last time -- responding to my previous notes from Goodreads, my reactions after finishing the book about a whole year ago.

~~~

By the Wyrd, this book just... kicked ass. Maas writes suspense SO WELL!

That, I remember well. If nothing else, I remember how much this book kicked ass. There is still so much action, so much violence, so much going on that it was hard to stay away. I remember picking up the book and telling myself, "Just one chapter," and then that would stretch into two, three, four chapters.... There's a slow build-up, suspense and mystery that keeps you on the edge, Maas reveals at a good pace -- not too fast, and not too slow. The writing, as usual, is fantastic. I love the style that she utilises, and her writing just flows nicely.

[Review] The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

(#1, The Winner's Trilogy)

The Winner's Curse | The Winner's Crime | Untitled

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 03/07/2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Pages: 368

Source: Publisher
Genre: YA (14+) - Fantasy

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes
♪ Santigold - Shooting Arrows at the Sky ♪

My Rating:

Bittersweet and engaging

My thoughts

I love that overarching concept: even when you win, you lose. That is the main idea of this book, and you see it in everything that happens. I only really appreciated the brilliance of it all once I'd flipped to that last page and everything kind of clicked. It's not my favourite of 2014 by far, however I am still eagerly anticipating the next book in this exciting new fantasy trilogy.

[Review] Poppy (#1) by Mary Hooper

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 08/05/2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 288

Source: Publisher for review
Genre: YA (12+) - Historical

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes
♪ x ♪

My Rating: 

Highly entertaining!

My thoughts

I had no idea that this book would have a sequel, but as I was nearing the end I knew there was no way there couldn't have been. May 2015, 'Poppy in the Field'. I know it's going to be an emotional and intense read.

Last week I received a package from Bloomsbury in the mail, containing two books: this was one of them. I hadn't heard anything about it, but 1) I adore good historical fiction; 2) Mary Hooper is quite a well-known staple of YA historical fiction; 3) This book focuses on WWI; 4) The heroine becomes a VAD nurse for the war effort, so I picked it up almost immediately and don't regret the decision one bit.

Poppy Pearson is a young woman working as a parlourmaid for the de Veres. The war rages on. While the older de Vere brother enlists to fight in the war, the younger, Freddie, only joins after being handed an anonymous white feather in the mail (which Poppy's teacher had encouraged her to send). It is also by her teacher's suggestion that she also partake in the war effort by joining the VAD as a nurse. She's good at taking orders and she is no stranger to hard work and long hours. Before Freddie and Poppy part, they share a few moments: a look, a kiss, a touch and squeeze of the hand; and despite their difference in social standing they exchange letters and agree to meet once again. But Mrs de Vere will not allow the two of them to end up together--her son must marry someone of higher class...

[Review] The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

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Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 13/03/2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Pages: 437

Source: Publisher for review
Genre: YA (14+) - High fantasy

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes
♪ x ♪

My Rating: 

Brilliantly written

My thoughts

Somehow, after knowing what happens in Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, revisiting Celaena BEFORE the salt mines of Endovier brought forth a whole new perspective and a newfound appreciation for Celaena's character AND Sarah J. Maas' writing and vision. I LOVED that I was given the chance to reread the novellas in a print paperback format. I believe the experience was somehow different and richer because of it.

[Review] Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 21/09/2007

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 270

Source: Purchased
Genre: YA (14+) - Contemporary

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

Book Tunes
♪ Bloc Party - I Still Remember ♪

My Rating: 

Beautiful

My thoughts

Perfection. This story is kind of bittersweet, beautiful and magical.

Highly highly recommended for readers who love realistic/contemporary fiction.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac follows Naomi after she hits her head on concrete steps trying to save the yearbook camera. She doesn't remember her friends or family. She doesn't remember who she IS, really. And then she meets James, mysterious James with the mysterious past, who's as lost as she is, and they start a rocky relationship. But then things go awry and she is left to pick up the pieces, left to remember...

[Review] Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

Dance of Shadows

(#1, Dance of Shadows)
Dance of Shadows | Untitled

Author: Yelena Black 

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 01/02/2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 385

Source: For review

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity


My Rating: 



My thoughts

Note: there are slight spoilers in this review. I figured them out when the elements were first presented to me, so I don't consider them outright spoilers, but if you want to go into this book knowing NOTHING, don't read on!

~~~

You do not need to be a dancer to have an interest in all things dance. I'm a fan of the likes of SYTYCD and Bunheads and I always do a double-take when I come across dancing (style doesn't matter to me). So, naturally, books that involve dance interest me greatly, and I was really excited to read Yelena Black's debut novel Dance of Shadows. I think I could have loved this book, but there were just so many things I found irritating about it that detracted from its entertainment value.

[Review] Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass

(#1, Throne of Glass)
Throne of Glass | Untitled

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 02/08/2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Pages: 404

Source: For review (thanks Bloomsbury!)

Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity

My Rating:

Amazing!

Summary:

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

My thoughts

I may not have been one of the thousands of Sarah's fans on Fiction Press back when this book was still in its early stages, but that does not mean that this book release was just like any other. I was bouncing-off-the-walls EXCITED for this. I generally only let myself get really pumped up for a couple of book releases per year, and Throne of Glass took the cake in the debuts department.

[Review] Fracture by Megan Miranda

Title: Fracture {goodreads}

Authors: Megan Miranda

Publication (dd/mm/yyyy): 05/01/2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury AU/NZ

Source: For review
Precautions: Violence | Sexual Content | ?Profanity

Pages: 262

My Rating:

Amazing read

Summary:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

My thoughts: 

~ Final thoughts ~

Megan Miranda's debut novel amplifies the significance of knowing what it means to be not only alive, but human. This emotional and daring psychological thriller is one that will not let you go, right up until the last page. Tautly written and full of gripping tension, Fracture failed to disappoint!

Waiting on Wednesday (36): Where the Blooms are Buried

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

~~~



Yeah, that was a terrible titular name to give for, of course, Bloomsbury. Anywho, yes. So this is my first WoW in months and therefore I've missed mentioning many books I'd been waiting on. :/ I'll try and get back into the routine of a weekly feature! IMM will still be fortnightly, at best.

~~~
 

(in order of release date)

WoW: Bloomsbury Edition

ARC cover, subject to change

Title: Throne of Glass {goodreads}

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Release Date (dd/mm/yy): August 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury US & AU

Why am I waiting on this?

OMG OMG OMG!

This book used to be titled "Queen of Glass", back when it was at Fictionpress.com. It was a big hit over there, and I'm extremely sorry for not finding it and reading it then. I mentally kick myself sometimes. Anyway, this is like a high fantasy retelling of Cinderella, except I've heard it totally stands on its own. There are four novellas being released prior to August (the first one is FREE!), which just does not help sustain my unflinching excitement.


Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube
Watch the Throne of Glass teaser trailer (it's a must-watch)

Title: Something Like Normal {goodreads}

Author: Trish Doller

Release Date (dd/mm/yy): 19/06/12 (AUS: August)

Publisher: Bloomsbury US & AU

Why am I waiting on this?

I really like the sound of this one. It sounds multi-layered, deep and meaningful. There have also been some really good reviews for it so far, so I have high hopes for this one! ...Male narrative!
Also, hello? Contemporary YA!

Website

Title: Breathe {goodreads}

Author: Sarah Crossan

Release Date (dd/mm/yy): 02/10/12

Publisher: Greenwillow (AU) & Bloomsbury (AU)

Why am I waiting on this?

I say bring on the eco-related dystopians! I love the idea that oxygen is something that has to be rationed, and only the rich are provided with enough to be healthy and athletic. Also, that these three teens will be outside of this Pod with 2 days worth of oxygen, and come across all these secrets that their society kept from them.

Title: Fire Spell {goodreads}

Author: Laura Amy Schlitz

Release Date (dd/mm/yy): October 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury AU/UK

Why am I waiting on this?

I couldn't really find it anywhere. Here's the synopsis though:

It begins with a girl in London, 1860. Her family is exceptionally wealthy and she is exceptionally lonely. The closest thing to friendship Clara has experienced was a brief encounter with the two ragged children who work with the puppeteer in the park. For her birthday she asks to see them perform in the drawing room, and her father, to her surprise, allows it.

The puppeteer, Grisini, kidnaps Clara and uses his sinister powers to imprison her body and mind in the form of a marionette to add to his theatre. His two young assistants realise what has happened, and all three children find themselves caught up in a terrible struggle for supernatural eminence between Grisini and a dying witch of extraordinary power.

It sounds a bit young, to me, but I think there's potential for a great story here. It's marked as 12+, so by my deductive reasoning it's been classified as YA. I'd love a preview or something to see whether it's for me though.

Thanks for visiting my WoW post. ♥

Comment with your WoW picks and share the excitement!