Review: The Crown by Kiera Cass

Title: The Crown
Author: Kiera Cass
Genre: YA Dystopian
Publisher: Harper Collins Kids
Published: May 19th 2016
Page Number: 278
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary:
In The Heir, a new era dawned in the world of The Selection. Twenty years have passed since America Singer and Prince Maxon fell in love, and their daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own.

Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.

REVIEW

It's bittersweet that this series has finally come to an end. As everyone knows, The Selection series was meant to have ended after 'The One' and I did mourn a little after that book. And then Kiera announced that there were going to be 2 more books to the series, which I'm not going to lie, made me happy. I love the world and the characters that Kiera creates because she does it so well.

The Heir wasn't my favourite book in the series, and Eadlyn certainly wasn't a favourite character but Kiera Cass ended the series in a way that shows so much character growth, not just as a teenage girl but also as a Queen. Getting to see her interact with the boys and fight between what she must do as Queen and her heart was special. Eadlyn is young and teenagers fall in love quickly. We're all in or nothing at all.

Who did Eadlyn end up with?

I'm not going to tell, I don't like posting spoiler reviews, especially when it comes to a series. All I will say is that I think everyone will be happy with the outcome. I know I certainly was. But that's the beauty of Kiera Cass, one of my absolute favourite thing about her as an author is how she creates male characters that you root for. You haven't got to like them all but in some crazy way you love them none the less.

For me it honestly felt like Kiera had written this book for us, her readers. She gave us everything that we already love about her series and added that extra bit of panache. I know that I for one will be excited to see what else Kiera has to write.

 

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Selling ARC's From BEA / BOOKCON | Discussion

So today I found a tweet on Twitter from a user who's come across a bunch of ARC's that were from BEA / Bookcon for sale on Ebay. And there's been a lot of comments on the topic. For me, I live in the UK and was unlucky not to be able to go due to insufficient funds. It's my dream to go to BEA / Bookcon. I love books and want to experience something like this, but when I see people going to get ARC's just so they can sell them, now that pisses me off.

BIG TIME!

Selling ARC's on Ebay is actually illegal, not only that but it shows massive disrespect to the authors who write their arses off and the publishers who work so hard to bring those books into our hands. And this isn't the first time that ARC's have been sold on Ebay after BEA / Bookcon. It happened last year and the year before that, and before long either BEA / Bookcon will stop handing out ARC's or publishers and authors will be very limited on handing them out and I wouldn't even blame them.

These people need to realise that they're not just ruining the experience for the authors and publishers, but also us readers. People haven't turned up just to get ARC's, they've also attended to talk to their favourite authors and meet the people they've been speaking to online. It's an event, one that brings people closer together and it just hurts me that some people only care about getting an ARC just for money. It's honestly pathetic and you need to get a life.




What are your thoughts on this topic?
Let me know in the comments!

Review: The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

Title: The Art of Being Normal
Author: Lisa Williamson
Genre: YA Contemporary / LGBT
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Published: January 7th 2016 (Paperback edition)
Page Number: 357
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Two Outsiders. Two secrets.

David longs to be a girl.

Leo wants to be invisible.

When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

REVIEW

One of my blogger friends, Kayleigh recommended The Art of Being Normal to me. I knew the premise was something I was certainly interested but due to it being out in hardback I had to wait until the paperback release. And Kayleigh was right.

This book was so good.

Gender Identity is super important for me, I don't class myself as either male or female because I don't feel like I honestly am. I'm just myself. So it was really refreshing seeing a book deal with Gender Identity so well. Not only that but The Art of Being Normal is one of the most important books of our time. A lot of people could learn from this, not just children or teenagers. But parents and grandparents alike.

For a YA Contemporary book I was super happy that it was set in the UK, mainly because it was refreshing as most are set in the US on beach costal towns, which is fun sometimes, but sometimes I just want a good book set in the UK. Being completely honest though, The Art of Being Normal was also nostalgic for me, it took me back to the times when I was 9 and 10 years old strutting my stuff around the house in my self-made dress constructed out of my bed sheets, scarves and towels.

Right now I just want to raid a bookstore and hand everyone a copy of this beautiful, brilliant novel. Just. Pick. It. Up!

 

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🎧: U Wear it Well by RuPaul

BOOKS EVERYONE LOVES THAT I HATE!

We all have different preferences when it comes to reading, and while I love a lot of books I also hate a lot of them as well. Of course for me most of these books on my list come from the fact that Booktubers hyped them up and they all pretty much fell flat on its spine.

Side note before going ahead: If you don't like my opinions then you know what they say: "Opinions are like arseholes, we all have one."


1. ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES BY JENNIFER NIVEN

If you've read my recent review then you would know that despite what a lot of people said, I disliked this book. I just felt like the whole point of the book just to have characters with a mental illness. Not only that it lacked on trying to be original. I'm just honestly over these carbon copies that aren't done well. But like I've said, each to their own when it comes to what you like and dislike.








2. THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE BY JANDY NELSON

Yeah......I'm not a fan of a girl getting together with her recently dead sister's Fiancé. It honestly disgusts me and I don't get why anyone would want to read about that. I love romance as much as anyone else but this crosses every line going.







3. WE WERE LIARS BY E. LOCKHART

We Were Boring.
We Were Predictable.
We Were Hyped.

I honestly don't need to say anything else, the whole book was a big mess.









4. THE RAVEN BOYS BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER


Another one that Booktubers hyped up and I honestly don't see why. Nothing happens for at least 250 - 300 pages and I am not the one to continue when nothing happens. I went into this one expecting a lot of action, mystery and Welsh mythology. Instead what I action got was nothing but a big fat fail in renaming a Welsh King. Not acceptable (It maybe to you guys but I'm Welsh, so.....)






5. LOVE LETTERS TO THE DEAD BY AVA DELLAIRA

I actually threw my copy out of my window and onto the land that lays behind my house once I finished this one. I honestly don't know how it was published. It's awful, not only that but it has the worst representation of a Lesbian-Friends relationship as well as the fact that it's biasedly quoted by Stephen Chbosky. Garbage needs to remain in the garbage.











What do you think of my choices?
Let me know in the comments!

Review: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Title: All The Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Genre: YA Contemporary / Mental Health
Publisher: Penguin Books UK
Published: January 8th 2015
Page Number: 388
Rating: 1/5

Summary:

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the 'natural wonders' of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself - a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink.

REVIEW

All The Bright Places was described as 'Eleanor and Park' meets 'The Fault in Our Stars', which is problematic in itself. While I LOVE 'Eleanor and Park' I actually disliked 'The Fault in Our Stars' and saw so many problems with it, especially the romance. And to be compared to such huge, well known authors is a statement, a statement that I disagreed with.

I so badly wanted to enjoy this book, especially since it's about Mental Health but I couldn't help but feel disconnected from the characters and their offish personalities. I couldn't see Theodore and Violet as real people because they had no personality, instead they became their illness, walking zombies in the midst of life. And in some aspects I understand it, but I found myself hating them both.

Depression, self-harm and suicide is something I'm very well known with, in fact I'd say we were best friends at one point. I was so depressed back in 2013-2014 that I scarred my arms for life, tried to overdose on medication and also tried to hang myself. Twice. I was in a dark place with no hope of seeing light, and while I'm aware that no depression story is the same, I just felt like Jennifer created the characters for the sake of having a story with mentally ill characters.

And to be honest, All the Bright Places is just another over-hyped book that fails on anything original. Mental Illness is not a trend, it's a serious problem and I just wished Jennifer Niven could have given it a more realistic portrayal.

 

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🎧: 'We Won't by Jaymes Young & Phoebe Ryan

Review: The Last Summer of Us by Maggie Harcourt

Title: The Last Summer of Us
Author: Maggie Harcourt
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Usbourne
Published: May 1st 2015
Page Number: 304
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Limpet, Steffan and Jared. Three best friends crammed into a clapped-out rust bucket of a car on a whirlwind road trip to forget their troubles and see out the end of the summer. But no matter how far they drive, they can’t escape the hidden secrets and slow-burning romance that could upset the balance of their friendship – perhaps forever.

REVIEW

The Last Summer of Us was one of the books I was extremely excited to read because the characters take a road trip around Wales, which I don't think anyone has ever written before. I also happen to live in Wales and while I usually prefer books set in the US, I can't deny that Maggie Harcourt didn't make me want to travel my homeland.

I felt everything these characters felt, I didn't see them as characters written onto a page I saw them as fully fleshed out people, the kind of people I grew up with. And that's something I wasn't expecting. Maggie Harcourt (who's also Welsh) did the Welshism's so well and despite it still being a super fun summer contemporary read the book also deals with heavy topics of death, alcoholism and grief. It's presented in a way that you feel so much for these characters. You're rooting for them in some way or another, and more than anything else I was rooting for their friendship because it's the type of friendship that you know will last a lifetime.

And you know what makes a book good? When you finished the book almost 9 weeks ago but its still very much present in your mind. When I see the book on my shelf, I find myself smiling and remember the journey all three characters went on. And I know for a fact that I will also be rereading this book when summer comes around because it's the type of book that can consume you. And you never know, I may also take my own road trip this year with my friends visiting the places Limpet, Steffan and Jared visited.

But honestly: if you're after a well written YA novel that's a super quick, fun read then this is it. But be prepared to get withdrawal symptoms.

Buy the book (Waterstones) | Buy the book (Amazon)

 

 

🎧: Coming Home by Rita Ora ft Sigma

Review: Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Kindred Spirits
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Macmillan Kids UK
Published: February 25th 2016 (World Book Day Book)
Page Number: 96
Rating: 4/5

Summary:
'Everybody likes everything these days. The whole world is a nerd.'
'Are you mad because other people like Star Wars? Are you mad because people like me like Star Wars?'
'Maybe.' If you broke Elena's heart, Star Wars would spill out. So when she decides to queue outside her local cinema to see the new movie, she's expecting a celebration with crowds of people who love Han, Luke and Leia just as much as she does. What she's not expecting is to be last in a line of only three people; to have to pee into a collectible Star Wars soda cup behind a dumpster or to meet that unlikely someone who just might truly understand the way she feels.

REVIEW

 

For those who don't know what a World Book Day book is, they're basically short stories that some authors write that sell for £1 on World Book Day in hopes to get people into reading. So, I received Kindred Spirits in a special package from Macmillan - Thanks Kat! - I knew I had to start reading Kindred Spirits straight away and I'm so happy I did because despite it's size, I got so much out of it. I learned then Kindred Spirits isn't a book for just Star Wars fans, it's a book for everyone who is apart of a Fandom; getting together with people who bleed the same thing you do and building up friendships from doing so.

 

Rainbow Rowell does what she does best and that is creating characters that you fall in love with so easily, she mastered it with her short story 'Midnight' and she did it again. I want a full novel on Elena. She's quirky and fun, and slightly reminded me of a mixture of both Eleanor from 'Eleanor and Park' and Cath from 'Fangirl'. And then we have Gabe. Sweet, awkward Gabe. I honestly couldn't help but fall in love with him, he's the kid in high school that we all recognise immediately; nerdy and gangly and stands out too much in a crowd even if they try to hide themselves, it never works! There also is the fact that Elena's friends happen to bully him as well and Elena tends to just sit by and not say anything, so you can't actually dislike him for hating Elena, I would to. But I just love how they worked together in the short story to become sort of friends.

 

Would I pee in a Starbucks cup like Elena had to? No.

Would I recommend you pick this short story up? Hell, yes!

 

 

 

🎧 : Out of the Blue by Adore Delano