"On a storm-ravaged night, a 19-year-old girl is killed. Three days later, her two younger brothers set out in search of her murderer. Cole, 17, is a dark-eyed devil who doesn't care if he lives or dies, while Ruben, 14, is a strange child who sometimes, inexplicably, experiences sensations above and beyond his own. This is the story of the boys' journey from their half-gypsy home on a London junk lot to the ghostly moors of Devon, where they hope and fear to find the truth about their sister's death. It's a long road, cold and hard and violent. It's the road of the dead."
Not what I expected. When I picked this book up I was expecting a paranormal maybe supernatural thriller. I didn't get that at all. Instead you get a brutal story which was far to real to be enjoyable.
This book in well written but it is fundamentally about vigilante justice with no real consequences (other than being severely beaten up). While no one dies, at least not on the page, no one exactly survives either. By the end of the book, it felt like a lot of destruction just barely contained within the narrative framework. The story is hard and wrenching, but it felt like it was swimming in dangerous waters.
The beginning is slow, dark and broody and then gets suddenly very violent and action-packed (but still dark and broody!). The mystical aspect of Ruben's trances/visions/whatever-they-were didn't seem to be consistent to me, especially when they became more like an out-of-body experience. There were aspects of the mystery that were solved suddenly with no real explanation, and although I thought I would enjoy the setting (English moors), it ended up too depressing and stark.
I liked it, but I won't recommend it to anyone. Age rating I would say 14+. Dark, gritty and disturbing. It touches on some uncomfortable topics and isn't a pleasant read.
"The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.
With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear."
This book felt a lot like a chess board with how it strengthened every player and moved them into the right position before the final battle of the next book. So it might not be the most gripping story as a whole, but it did an amazing job of building an impressive lineup of characters. I NEVER expected to care this much about Lorcan?! I loved how the most unexpected characters paired up for different missions and how everyone’s different stories wove together at the end.
I was surprised by how much of this story is carried by the POVs of other characters instead of Aelin. That decision makes total sense in the end, but I was initially wondering why I wasn't connecting with her as much as I had in previous books. She spends most of the story making her own secret plans behind the scenes while everyone calls her out on not clueing them in until the continual big reveals. Seeing her through other characters often made her seem a bit distant, callous, not focused on the bigger picture, and pretty much back to her Celaena persona. But by the end it all makes sense and she was still the incredibly brave, determined, selfless character we love. She gets even more complex and mature in this story and her whole journey is wonderful.
So that decision to make the development of so many crucial plot points happen off-screen (off-page??) made the reveal at the end more emotional, but also made me kind of frustrated in the middle with how I couldn't get a strong sense of where on earth Aelin’s head was or where the plot was even going. Because we didn't get such a strong look into Aelin's mind, her relationship with Rowan didn't have much emotional impact for me. I love them both as individual characters and do care about them together, but I'm just not very invested. So I did enjoy this book overall, but wasn’t super emotionally attached like I was in Heir or Fire or flipping through the pages like I was in Queen of Shadows.
HOWEVER THE CHARACTERS ARE SO AMAZING. They’ve all grown so much since the first book! I said in my reviews of previous books that I wanted to see more of Manon, Aedion, and Elide and I was not let down. The amount of character development that secondary characters got here makes me so happy. I have no clue how Maas juggles all of these characters so well and make them all unique and interesting.
I liked Elide in Queen of Shadows, but can we talk about how she becomes the most amazing character ever here. Her POV and everything that happened in it was the most unexpected part of the book (and also maybe the best).
Other random things I loved:- MANON. Manon and her Thirteen. Manon and Abraxos. Manon and learning to hope.
- Lysandra being stronger and more badass then before!!
- Maeve just got bumped up past Umbridge level of loathing
- The Rowan + Dorian bonding scenes
- How amazing Maas is with her mythology references (like how Fenrys is a wolf haha)
- Aelin’s court. How much they’ve done for her and are willing to do for the bigger picture.
- Aelin calling Rolfe “his Pirateness”
- Elide adopting characteristics from Manon & Asterin and working with what she has
- the sheer scope of the phenomenal worldbuilding
- How the big reveal gave the previous books WAY more depth
- Seeing Dorian and Aelin referred to as the King of Adarlan and Queen of Terrasen
- Dorian still eats like a fine lady
Now I know that a ton of people were losing their minds over the sex scenes in this book before it was even released, so let me just take a minute to weigh in on that. The main thing I heard was that they were graphic and unnecessary. Personally I agree with that, it really didn’t need them. They didn’t really fit the tone and even felt a bit forced into the story in several places. [Especially Manon & Dorian. I can admit that ship works after everything Dorian’s been through. But that scene really didn’t do anything for the characters or plot (hide spoiler)]I defended ACOMAF because the plot built up to those scenes and it meant something in the context of the story, buuuuut I’m really not feeling that here. I wish the page time had been spent elsewhere. (So basically, YES, you can skip them and it won’t affect anything which I exactly what I did).
Because I the afore mentioned scenes I would say mature 14/15+.
"Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with. Day in, day out, day after day."
Hi Guys, sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been off on summer holidays and have been lazing about.
The concept of this book was very alluring. For me, what I enjoyed the most was the many small stories scattered throughout about the different lives A enters. They are fleeting, varied, but often quite interesting and touching.
Beyond this, though, it was slightly disappointing. This same story written by many other authors would be called out for its "instalove". However, I suppose Levithan writes poetically enough that A's relationship with Rhiannon seems deeper, when in reality A falls in "love" with her instantly.
Secondly, there is no explanation at all for the paranormal aspect. No attempt to address it, no consideration given to why A always wakes up in a body 4 hours or less away from Rhiannon and is always the same age. I can suspend a lot of disbelief, however this was an issue for me.
By far a bigger issue for me was something that many people have praised the book for - the unique perspective from the point of view of someone who is genderless and without a life of their own. Wow, what an interesting idea, right? Indeed it is, and yet it is not explored at all. There is very little discussion of what it means to be male, female, both or neither. It is taken for granted that these things are meaningless and shrugged off. What a wasted opportunity to look at a fascinating subject!
There isn't an age rating for this. It is just a soft romance with nothing physical happening. It shows that what you look like doesn't have to define your life. However waking up in a different body everyday does put a crimp in it!
"After three years in juvie, Angela Davis is just a few months shy of release, and she'll finally be free from the hole that is Brunesfield Correctional Facility. Then Jessica arrives. Only ten years old and under the highest security possible, this girl has to be dangerous, even if no one knows what she did to land in juvie. As strange things begin happening to Angela and her friends that can only be traced to the new girl's arrival, it becomes clear that Brunesfield is no longer safe. They must find a way to get out, but how can they save themselves when the world has forgotten them?"
Okay so this book is a crimey-paranormal-horror-thriller-sci-fi...I think. A book with an identity crisis? It's just WOAH, we were cramming all the genres in here! It's set in Juvenile detention, with sci-fi/government conspiracy theories and paranormal superpowers. For me, it was too much without enough detail to anything specific.
The story is of Angela who is in juvie and gets manipulated into taking care of this creepy 10-year-old girl Jessica who may or may not be setting things on fire. WITH HER MIND. As you do. Does Angela freak out over this? A little. Does she accept it pretty fast? Definitely. (ANGELA. WUT ARE YOU THINKING.)
The biggest problem I had was that it's super slow. I mean, it's a thriller, right?!?? With all the mundane details about kitchen duties and the clichés with the crabby guards and the evil scientist lady....I was pretty bored. Even creepy little Jessica couldn't save it for me because WE DIDN'T GET ENOUGH OF HER.
Also I was really disappointed with Angela's backstory. She narrates in 1st person and is lumped in with the "dangerous/high security girls" and is all "I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT I DID TO END UP IN JUVIE AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME." Well obviously the truth does come out and it's incredibly tame.[She did some robberies and accidentally pushed a woman down the stairs. Ah...huh. (hide spoiler)] She ended up as the sort of "misunderstood and well intentioned" heroine all the while CLAIMING to be a monster. I just...no. Sit down. Plus we won't even talk about the random romance with the guard that made no sense, with no chemistry, and just...yep. Moving forward.
"Okay, grumpy guts, is there anything you liked?" you say.
Well yes, yes there is. I'm glad you asked.
L I K E S:
• Despite not being creepy enough, Jessica (the 10yo burning girl) still had some creeptastic moments!
• There is a cool friendship dynamic between Angela and her two roomies: Issie and Cara. Go awesome friendship.
• Plenty of characters of colour.
• Angela had dyslexia! I don't often read about that!
• Juvie is always an interesting setting. Reminds me why I'm a super good person and always keep on the right side of the law. (Except for that library fine that one time...)
• I just wish I'd liked the book more though....
All in all it's not a bad book by any means! I just wish the book had been creepier and faster paced. It also would've been nice if more stuff burned down, justsayin'. But Angela was still an interesting narrator and the epilogue was really thought-provoking.
Age rating I would say 13+. Quite abit of swearing, burning bodies and a few mentally unwell people hurt themselves in small ways.
"Darkness never dies.
Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm."
Okay firstly I am about to start ranting about all the reasons I really disliked this book. However,I did enjoy it more than the first book as it had more world building and you are introduced to new characters.(my favourites, the twins.)Alina is more powerful in this book and there are some truly badass scenes!!
I will not be reading the 3rd book but I would suggest people who have read the first to try the second as it might just draw you back in.
There are going to be spoilers ahead for this book. You have been warned.
1:CAN MAL JUST LEAVE
What an annoying little #@;!!@. There are pages of Alina commenting on how good he is at everything and I just don’t care.All he does is comment on how he doesn’t want Alina to change and how frustrated he is because things are different and it’s boring. I'm not even sure what Mal does for most of this book aside from standing by and being jealous of every man that Alina talks to.
All the girls fall for him and no one can resist his handsomeness. We get it you're handsome. Alina and other girls can't resist you, his handsomeness was mentioned in the first book and now again several times here. I GET IT, HE'S HANDSOME, NO NEED TO REPEAT IT AGAIN IN THE SECOND BOOK.
2: The love square
Well, I have officially read a book where not one, not two, but three guys have a thing for the same girl. Mal, The Darkling and now Nikolai. Are you kidding me? At this point, someone's grandpa is probably going to have the hots for Alina.
3:Mal and Alina's relationship problems
Listen up, I do. not. give. a. single. flying. continental. about. Mal. and. Alina's. relationship. and more than half this book was them having relationship problems, fighting and confessing their love.
I was so bored by their relationship that I couldn't even summon the energy for my standard eye roll reserved for fictional couples that are annoying.
4:No Darkling
But my biggest complaint has to be that there is a distinct lack of the Darkling, who we all know was the best part of Shadow and Bone. Seriously, he's missing from 80% of this book. There's something extremely compelling about his character, and his connection with Alina. I fear that this book shuttled his character straight off into "irredeemable bad guy" territory permanently, when I'm hoping for something a bit more unconventional as an ending for his story.
Age rating 12/13+. Nothing overly gruesome and light kissing.
"Apparently I'm boring. A nobody. But that's all about to change. Because I am starting a project. Here. Now. For myself. And if you want to come along for the ride then you're very welcome.
Bree is a loser, a wannabe author who hides behind words. Most of the time she hates her life, her school, her never-there parents. So she writes.
But when she’s told she needs to start living a life worth writing about, The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting is born. Six steps on how to be interesting. Six steps that will see her infiltrate the popular set, fall in love with someone forbidden and make the biggest mistake of her life."
Doesn't it have a gorgeous cover!!
Firstly I have to say I really enjoy the way Holly Bourne writes. Her books are such comfortable reads. They flow brilliantly and read so quickly. I pretty much zoomed through and finished this in one sitting. Holly somehow manages to tackle difficult topics in a way that makes them 'easy' to read. The snarky humour and comebacks where great in this book, so my sense of humour.
With that being said, I didn't love this book. I enjoyed it but there's something making it hard for me to work out how I feel about it. The whole book gave me a huge 'Mean Girls' movie vibe, it was similar in so many ways that I couldn't stop comparing the two. It's like a parody of every cliché teen movie you've ever watched.
I found myself struggling to warm to Bree's character which is odd considering we're somewhat similar in things we've felt. I just think in the ways that we're not similar, we're such polar opposites I found it hard to connect with her and her actions, especially towards others.
BUT I couldn't stop reading, I was drawn into the book and the lives of these characters despite pretty accurately predicting what would happen. It makes you think and revaluate how important somethings are. I enjoyed it just not as much as I had expected too. I think I possibly put my expectations on this book too high after loving Holly's other book 'Am I Normal Yet?' so much.
I will 100% continue to read whatever Holly Bourne writes because, as I said, I LOVE the way she writes.
Maybe a bit of a spoiler: this book incorporates self-harm. So be aware of that. Age Rating I would say 15, maybe mature 14.
"On a storm-ravaged night, a 19-year-old girl is killed. Three days later, her two younger brothers set out in search of her murderer. Cole, 17, is a dark-eyed devil who doesn't care if he lives or dies, while Ruben, 14, is a strange child who sometimes, inexplicably, experiences sensations above and beyond his own. This is the story of the boys' journey from their half-gypsy home on a London junk lot to the ghostly moors of Devon, where they hope and fear to find the truth about their sister's death. It's a long road, cold and hard and violent. It's the road of the dead."
