Browsing Tag

review

REVIEW: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Posted on 9 June, 2014

[book-info]

A Game of Thrones and the A Song of Ice and Fire series are books I’ve known about for a long time, but have been very reluctant to read. Have you seen the size of them?! Very daunting, and I don’t usually like to read long books. However, I finally gave in to the temptations and bought the box set. Immediately I started reading, and immediately I was sucked into the world of Westeros and I am now completely obsessed.

A Game of Thrones is the first book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin and is set in a high-fantasy world where betrayal and treachery aren’t uncommon. Although there’s a lot of information to take in, Martin has created an incredible world where it is easy to feel as if you are the characters, walking in their footsteps and speaking their words. It’s difficult to describe it exactly because it’s better to discover the plot for yourself – I really don’t want to spoil anything!

There are vivid arrays of characters, all extremely realistic. Even the characters you’re supposed to hate are easy to like because they have motivations and this is what makes A Game of Thrones really stand out. Every person has flaws, not just ‘the bad guys,’ and every character in this novel has them too which makes it impossible to trust anyone, even the people you think you’re supposed to.

That said, I do have a few favourite characters. Daenerys Targaryen is the character I completely fell in love with. Can I be her please? She’s everything you could wish for in a character and more, and I loved seeing her character growth as the novel progressed. I found myself longing for more of her chapters because they were just so good.

The novel is written in third person from the perspectives of a number of different characters, which can be rather confusing at first but you do get used to it after a while. Just a warning: Don’t get too close to any of the characters, because they will most likely die. George R. R. Martin isn’t afraid of death!

Whilst an adult novel (it’s extremely violently and sexually graphic so if you’re squeamish I’d beware), I enjoyed the change from YA to adult and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and watch the TV show.

Book in a tweet: Thrilling, completely enthralling and complex, A Game of Thrones will draw you into the world of Westeros and not let you go.

REVIEW: Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Posted on 20 May, 2014

[book-info]

What can I say about Solitaire that will convey my thoughts on just how perfect it is? I’ve been eagerly anticipating reading it for months now and so I started it as soon as I opened the parcel containing it.

Solitaire tells the story of Victoria Spring, whose hobbies include sleeping, blogging and drinking diet lemonade. Tori is a pessimist and prefers her own company to spending time with others. Things used to be different: she had friends and her brother, Charlie, was okay, but now things are different. When things start happening around the school, harmless pranks which then turn into something bigger, Tori is left wondering who’s behind it – who are Solitaire, and what are they trying to achieve? – and also trying to live with her own inner struggles.

Solitaire is a gorgeous and breath-taking debut novel, which, in my opinion, rivals the likes of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Seeing as though Catcher is one of my all time favourite novels, it’s no surprise that Solitaire is now also a part of that list.

Filled with fandom references and incredibly realistic to teenage life, Solitaire is a book that every teenager will relate to and a book many adults will also love because of its realism and ability to just understand life on so many levels.

One of the reasons I loved this novel so much was that I felt as if I was the person in Tori’s head. It scared me in a way because so many of my own feelings were reflected in the writing. Tori, the protagonist, gets me and that made it so special to read.

Tori is juxtaposed to Michael Holden, the male protagonist in Solitaire. Before you think it, Solitaire is by no means a love story. Solitaire is a life story, and by that I mean that Solitaire captures life perfectly – life isn’t a love story, is it? Life is so much more than meeting someone and madly falling in love with him or her. I loved that about Solitaire and it’s what sets it apart from your typical YA novel.

Written from the heart, I believe Solitaire will be one of the biggest debut novels of 2014. You certainly won’t want to miss out on reading it!

Book in a Tweet: If you’re a teenager, or have ever been a teenager, this book has been written just for you: You’re not alone.

If you liked …. you’ll love this!

John Green – love The Fault in Our Stars? Mad about Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns? Solitaire easily rivals it!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – Full of fandom references that will put a big smile on your face, Solitaire deals with the same feelings as Fangirl but is possibly even better!

Book Review

REVIEW: Sealed With a Kiss by Rachael Lucas

Posted on 11 May, 2014

[book-info]

Sealed with a Kiss, so called because it is set on an island where there are many cute seals, is the perfect summer contemporary to take with you on holiday whilst you’re lying by the pool, or sunbathing in your garden (that’s if Britain ever sees sunshine!). Lucas is a name you definitely need to watch out for in adult contemporary.

Hooked from the first page, the novel tells the story of Kate who has just separated from her long-term boyfriend and is looking for a job. When she sees a job for a Girl Friday on a remote island called Auchenmor in Scotland, she doesn’t realise just what she’s taken on. Kate then has to deal with the fact that on such a small island there are no secrets, scheming ex-girlfriends and an injured seal. What more could you wish for in a book?!

As you know, I primarily read YA, so Sealed with a Kiss was a really nice change because it’s an adult novel. I think there’s a lot of YA crossover potential and I’d have no trouble handing it to a YA. It’s by far one of the best adult contemporaries I’ve read, up there with the likes of Katie Fforde.

The main character, Kate, charmed me right from the start. She’s clumsy, falling at her boss’ feet the first time she meets him, but she’s also devoted and caring. Kate is the kind of person you’d love to be friends with.

There were also such brilliant secondary characters that all had their own pasts that added a familiarity to the story, like Susan and Jean.

Sealed with a Kiss is definitely a book that will stay with you long after you put it down. I’m looking forward to re-reading it again sometime in the near future!

Book in a Tweet: Cute, romantic, and a must-read for any contemporary fan! You won’t want to miss out on this book!

Book Review UKYA Uncategorized

REVIEW: The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss

Posted on 27 April, 2014

[book-info]

The Year of the Rat is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that discusses themes of grief and dealing with the death of a parent and how one goes about leading a normal life after that.

After hearing Furniss talk at an event, and hearing part of The Year of the Rat being read, I couldn’t wait to start it. I didn’t know an awful lot about it, but I had an inkling that I would love it, and I really did.

Losing somebody close to you must be one of the worst feelings in the world. For Pearl there is the added factor of a baby sister to look after, a sister who reminds her of her mother who died in pregnancy with ‘The Rat.’

The Year of the Rat is going to be a book I recommend to a lot of people because of it’s emotional depth and ability to hook the reader into Pearl’s story. There are psychological themes within The Year of the Rat – the reader unsure whether Pearl is actually seeing her mother’s ghost or if she is fabricating her to deal with the grief she is going through. The emotional depth really makes the novel stand out because it all felt so real; it was as if Pearl was living inside me and voicing the thoughts I’ve had in the past.

I feel as if there isn’t anything quite like The Year of the Rat released at the moment so if you’re looking for originality this is definitely for you.

Pearl isn’t always a likeable character and I often found myself questioning why she did particular things, but this is what makes the book so magic and, if this even makes sense, makes Pearl even easier to like.

The Year of the Rat is such a good book, and Furniss an author you really need to watch out for. If her debut is this stunning, I can’t wait to read her future novels.

Book Review

REVIEW: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Posted on 11 April, 2014

This review is being written five minutes after finishing We Were Liars, so please excuse my thoughts which will probably be all over the place and incoherent. This book is absolutely crazy.

I should probably first of all mention that this book was a 3.5 star read for the majority of the book, but I can’t rate it anything but 5 stars after finishing because OMG. It blew me away!

Here are some reasons you should read We Were Liars:

Family politics mean a really interesting read, and there is a lot of it in the Sinclair family.
It’s VERY different to anything you’d usually read.
The hype? It’s for good reason. This book is awesome!
TWISTS, MAN. THOSE TWISTS MESSED WITH MY HEAD.

I don’t want to give anything away, because there’s a lot I could reveal. I feel as if any tiny thing I reveal could be classed as a spoiler of epic proportions so I should probably just say – READ WE WERE LIARS! It isn’t everyone’s type of book and I know not everyone has enjoyed it, but give it a chance and I think you’ll love it.

I think one of the most appealing things about We Were Liars is I don’t think there’s another book even remotely similar to it out there at the moment. You can pick it up knowing you won’t have read anything quite like it before.

If you like your mental state, read We Were Liars. Nobody is supposed to be sane!

Book Review

REVIEW: The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick

Posted on 7 April, 2014

[book-info]

I have very mixed feelings on this novel – parts I loved, other parts I thought were good but they just didn’t enthral me as much as I hoped. Nevertheless, The Good Luck of Right Now is a brilliant novel from the equally brilliant Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook.

Bartholomew Neil is middle-aged and has spent the past years looking after his sick mother. The novel starts after her death and we find Bartholomew writing letters to actor Richard Gere after finding a form letter from him in his mother’s underwear drawer.

Quick’s novels never fail to make me think – I can’t help but sit back in awe and think, ‘Wow!’ This book really is an emotional rollercoaster – I laughed, I smiled, I was sad alongside the characters: I felt like I really lived this story.

The main character, Bartholomew, had my complete affection throughout. He was grieving and so much was going on in his life; he was suddenly thrust into this big, uncomfortable world and that can be scary. I just wanted to give him a big hug!

The secondary characters, although not many of them, became very familiar and really helped the story along. I loved Max and ‘the Girlbrarian’ and Wendy too, and how they were with Bartholomew. There were such a variety of different characters – it was hard not to feel invested in the story.

I feel like there wasn’t so much a plot as a journey. From start to finish, we see Bartholomew travel, metaphorically, and his character develop. It was a very special journey to be a part of.

I did, however, find some parts quite predictable, which lowered the rating for me. Maybe that’s just me, and this shouldn’t deter you from reading it. I think because there is so little plot, this wasn’t such a big thing as it could have been, but the predictability did spoil the reading experience for me a bit.

I put down The Good Luck of Right Now feeling satisfied with the story and where it went, and all its different components. If you’re looking to read something a bit different, this is the book for you.

Blog Tour Book Review

Daughters of Time Blog Tour: REVIEW:

Posted on 21 March, 2014

Daughters of Time is an anthology written by a group of the most talented UK historical YA writers and it’s a real treat to read.

One of the things I love most about anthologies, and Daughters of Time in particular, is that you can dip in and out of it whenever you so choose. For this review, I will be focusing on one of the stories, written about the Greenham Common Women.

At the end of each short story, the author talks about their inspiration behind writing it and Leslie Wilson talks about how she was involved with campaigning in the 1980’s. It was nice to hear how each person came to write about their event and characters.

It surprised me how easy it was to get to know a character within a limited amount of pages. In this story, we get to know the main character quickly and I loved how realistically she was portrayed – her emotions and feelings. It was one of the things I loved most about the story.

The stories included in the anthology are things I believe should be taught more often in schools and given a wider recognition. I’ll definitely be delving into Daughters of Time again because it’s filled with knowledge and facts. It’s perfect for those people who adore history, and even those who don’t because of the way it is taught.

You should definitely pick up Daughters of Time, whether you like reading about history or not. You’ll come out with a greater knowledge than when you went in, and you’ll enjoy it at the same time.

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Banished by Liz de Jager

Posted on 4 March, 2014

Banished was another of my most highly anticipated books of 2014, and so I was delighted when I won a copy from the publisher. A blend of Maggie Stiefvater’s Lament, with the intensity and passion of Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, you really need to watch out for this trilogy.

Kit is part of the impressive Blackhart family. Trained to fight, Kit isn’t any normal person, for her family fights enemy Fae. When the prince of Alba, the Fae world, needs rescuing, things turn from bad to worse because Kit has to face a lot more than a rogue Fae. Fae battle Fae in a war that threatens the human world and Kit has to fight for those that she holds dearest.

By far the thing that made me love Banished so much was Kit herself. She takes charge and really drove the story on. Her voice was so clear and shone through, unwavering in its consistency. Kit was very action-driven and I loved reading about her.

I also loved reading about Kit’s cousins. I really hope we get to see more of them in future novels because from the parts we saw them in during Banished they seem really awesome. Why can’t I be a Blackhart?!

I loved the inclusion of snippets of information about the lore and traditions before some of the chapters. It offered a really great insight into the world de Jager has created, which I can’t wait to hear more about in future books. I love it!

I’ve always been a huge fan of mythology and folklore so it’s not a surprise how much I loved the Fae world. De Jager has put her on spin on it, Banished being a truly unique novel. I just want more!

The plot is thrilling and there’s so much packed into one book. There are lots of plot twists and the climax was just amazing. The last 100 pages or so had me on the edges of my seat because I was so engrossed in the story. After reading the ending, I was left wanting more because it was just so good.

There were a few things I disliked, but I think this is mostly down to the fact that I haven’t been reading much lately and so it’s weird to be back in a fictional world again. On reflection though, I really loved the story and think everyone will really enjoy it.

You should definitely read Banished if you’re a fan of fantasy and the like. Even if you’re not, there is so much you can take out of this novel and I can see it being really popular once it’s released. Read it, read it, read it!

Older Posts

Newer Posts